Yes, Canadian soccer teams play in Major League Soccer (MLS), but Canadian Football League (CFL) teams do not. Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC are Canadian clubs in MLS, a professional soccer league operating in both Canada and the United States.
The confusion comes from the word “football”: in Canada, it can mean either soccer or Canadian football. Here’s how the leagues differ, which Canadian clubs compete in MLS, and how they fit into the wider Canadian soccer system.
do canadian football teams play in mls?
Canadian soccer teams play in MLS; Canadian football teams do not. MLS is a soccer league. The CFL is a separate league for Canadian football, a gridiron sport with different rules, teams, and competitions.
Three Canadian clubs compete in MLS: Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. They play league matches against clubs from both countries and can qualify for MLS playoffs if their results meet the league’s requirements. Their participation does not make them CFL teams.
In this article, “Canadian football” means the gridiron game played in the CFL. If you mean Canadian teams that play soccer, the answer is yes: several are MLS members.
Why the word “football” causes confusion
In Canada, “football” often refers to Canadian football, the sport played by the CFL. It has 12 players per side on the field, a larger playing surface than American football, and three downs to advance the ball. Those rules distinguish it from both U.S. football and soccer.
MLS clubs play soccer, also called association football in many countries. The game uses a round ball, and outfield players generally move it with their feet, heads, or bodies rather than carrying it. A soccer team fields 11 players at a time, including its goalkeeper.
So the answer depends on what you mean by “Canadian football teams.” If you mean CFL franchises, they do not play in MLS. If you mean soccer teams based in Canada, three currently compete in the league.
Which Canadian teams play in MLS?
MLS has three Canadian clubs, each based in a different major market. Their names and locations are easy to mix up, so this table separates them from Canadian teams in other competitions.
| Club | Home market | MLS conference | Best for identifying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto FC | Toronto, Ontario | Eastern | Canada’s first MLS club |
| CF Montréal | Montréal, Quebec | Eastern | Montreal’s MLS representative |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Vancouver, British Columbia | Western | Canada’s western MLS club |
Toronto FC
Toronto FC joined MLS in 2007 and plays at BMO Field in Toronto. It competes in the Eastern Conference, alongside clubs based in the eastern part of the league’s footprint. The club won the MLS Cup in 2017, the league championship awarded through the postseason playoffs.
Toronto FC is not the same organization as a CFL club, even though both may play in the same city and use nearby or shared sports facilities. The teams have separate rosters, leagues, schedules, and championships.
CF Montréal
CF Montréal represents Montréal in MLS and plays at Stade Saputo. The club entered the league in 2012 under the name Montreal Impact, then adopted its current name in 2021. Older coverage and records may therefore use “Montreal Impact” when referring to the same club.
CF Montréal also competes in Canadian soccer events. Its MLS membership does not prevent it from entering competitions organized for clubs across Canada.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC plays in MLS’s Western Conference and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It joined MLS in 2011. The club is part of a longer Whitecaps soccer history, but the MLS team is distinct from Canadian football franchises.
MLS conference placement is about the club’s league schedule and competition structure, not its national identity. Vancouver plays in the Western Conference; Toronto and Montréal play in the Eastern Conference.
How Canadian clubs fit into Major League Soccer
MLS is a single professional soccer league with clubs in the United States and Canada. Canadian teams are full league members, not guest teams that only join for a short tournament. They play a regular-season schedule, earn points in the standings, and can pursue the league title through the same general competition structure as other MLS clubs.
During the regular season, clubs receive points for results: a win earns three, a draw earns one for each side, and a loss earns none. Standings determine which clubs qualify for the postseason. The league’s playoff format can change, so the current season’s rules are the best guide to exactly how qualification and matchups work.
MLS uses Eastern and Western conferences to organize much of its schedule and standings. Canadian teams are placed by geography, not grouped into a separate Canada-only division. That means a Canadian club’s opponents can include both U.S. and Canadian teams.
Canadian MLS clubs also have a place in the domestic soccer calendar. They can compete in the Canadian Championship, a knockout cup competition involving professional clubs from across Canada. Winning a domestic cup is a different achievement from winning the MLS Cup: the competitions have different entry rules and titles.
MLS is not the same as the Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is a separate professional soccer league based in Canada. It is not a division of MLS, and its clubs are not automatically MLS teams. Canadian soccer fans may follow both leagues, but each has its own clubs, schedule, and championship.
Canada’s MLS clubs and CPL clubs can meet in the Canadian Championship. That tournament gives clubs from different domestic leagues a chance to compete against one another. A CPL side playing an MLS opponent in a cup match does not mean the CPL team has joined MLS.
| Competition | Sport | Who takes part? | What it decides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major League Soccer | Soccer | MLS clubs in Canada and the United States | MLS regular-season standings and MLS Cup champion |
| Canadian Premier League | Soccer | Clubs in Canada that are members of the CPL | CPL league champion and postseason results |
| Canadian Championship | Soccer | Canadian professional clubs from eligible leagues | Canada’s domestic cup winner |
| Canadian Football League | Canadian football | CFL gridiron football franchises | Canadian football league standings and Grey Cup champion |
The table shows the main distinction: MLS, the CPL, and the Canadian Championship are soccer competitions, while the CFL is a different sport. The word “Canadian” in a team or league name does not tell you which type of football it plays.
Do Canadian MLS teams play in the Canadian Championship?
Yes. Canadian MLS clubs can enter the Canadian Championship, the country’s national knockout cup for eligible professional soccer teams. It gives MLS sides the chance to face Canadian clubs from other leagues in a separate competition from the MLS season.
The Canadian Championship winner can earn a route to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, subject to the tournament’s current qualification rules. That regional competition features clubs from across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It is separate from both the MLS Cup and the Canadian Championship itself.
For a fan, the practical point is that one Canadian club can compete in several competitions during a season. A Toronto FC match in MLS is not the same event as a Toronto FC match in the Canadian Championship, even if the opponent is also Canadian.
Can a Canadian MLS team win the MLS Cup?
Yes. Canadian MLS clubs compete for the same league title as the U.S.-based clubs. Toronto FC has won the MLS Cup, demonstrating that a Canadian club can become the league champion. Canadian teams can also qualify for the MLS playoffs when their season results put them in a qualifying position under that year’s format.
Do not confuse the MLS Cup with the Supporters’ Shield. The MLS Cup is decided through the postseason. The Supporters’ Shield recognizes the club with the best regular-season record across the league. A team can pursue both, but they are different awards.
There is also a difference between winning the MLS Cup and winning a cross-border or continental tournament. Each competition has its own participating teams, qualification method, and trophy. Check which event a headline describes before comparing its result to a league title.
Do CFL teams ever play MLS matches?
No. CFL teams do not take part in MLS matches because they play a different sport in a separate league. A CFL club cannot qualify for the MLS standings or playoffs, just as an MLS soccer club does not compete for the Grey Cup.
What can cause confusion is that a city may have both a CFL franchise and an MLS club. The two organizations may share a city name, and stadium arrangements can sometimes add to the mix. Still, each club has its own identity and competition. A shared venue or local fan base does not make the teams part of one league.
Players also belong to sport-specific rosters. An MLS roster is built for soccer; a CFL roster is built for Canadian football. The physical demands and playing skills differ, so a club’s league membership is not interchangeable between the two sports.
What most people get wrong about Canadian MLS clubs
A common misconception is that MLS teams in Canada are only temporary visitors to an American league. They are members of MLS and play a league schedule alongside U.S.-based clubs. Their Canadian location does not make their matches exhibitions or move them into a separate league.
Another mistake is to treat every Canadian soccer team as an MLS club. Canada has clubs in other competitions, including the CPL, and those teams do not become MLS members simply because they play an MLS opponent in a cup match.
Useful distinction: “Canadian club” describes where a team is based; “MLS club” describes the league it belongs to; and “CFL team” describes a team in Canadian football. These labels answer different questions.
Also, do not assume that every competition follows the same qualification rules. An MLS standings position, a Canadian Championship result, and a regional tournament berth are separate matters. Tournament formats and qualification routes may change, so use the rules for the specific season when checking a current matchup.
How to tell which league a Canadian team belongs to
If a team name or match listing leaves you unsure, use this quick check:
- Check the sport. A soccer match uses soccer rules; a CFL fixture is Canadian gridiron football.
- Look at the competition name. MLS, the CPL, and the Canadian Championship are soccer competitions. The CFL and Grey Cup belong to Canadian football.
- Check the club’s official schedule. It identifies the competition for each match and avoids confusion between league games and cup games.
- Read the full club name. Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC are MLS soccer clubs. A CFL franchise in the same city is a separate team.
This check is especially useful when a headline says a Canadian team is playing another Canadian team. The nationality of the clubs alone does not tell you whether the match is in MLS, the Canadian Championship, the CPL, or another event.
Why Canadian clubs are included in a U.S.-and-Canada league
MLS was formed as a North American professional soccer league, rather than a competition limited to teams within one country. Its membership includes clubs based in both Canada and the United States. This cross-border structure allows Canadian cities to host MLS teams without creating a separate Canadian division inside the league.
League membership does not erase national soccer competitions. Canadian clubs remain eligible for domestic events that apply to them, while their MLS season is part of the wider league schedule. That overlap is why fans may see a club play a U.S.-based opponent one week and a Canadian rival in a cup competition another week.
For supporters, it helps to think in terms of layers: the club’s home country, its regular league, and the specific tournament being played. A club can be Canadian by location, an MLS member by league, and a participant in the Canadian Championship by tournament entry—all at once.
To sum up the distinction without mixing sports: Canadian soccer teams can be part of MLS, and three are currently members. Canadian football teams in the CFL remain in their own gridiron league, with no MLS participation.
Yes, Canadian soccer teams play in MLS: Toronto FC, CF Montréal, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC are league members. CFL teams do not play in MLS because they compete in Canadian football, a different sport.
To identify a match, check its league or tournament name rather than relying on the team’s nationality. That quick step tells you whether you are looking at MLS, the Canadian Championship, the CPL, or the CFL.