New Team, Investment and Competition: the Women's Northern Super League Is on the Rise

Canada's Northern Super League (NSL) is heading into its second season stronger than ever. The women's professional soccer league has added new investment, announced a new team, and is building on a strong first year. The league was co-founded by Diana Matheson, a former player on Canada's national team, and it launched in 2024 with six teams across the country.

The NSL announced this summer that a new team will join the league in Winnipeg in 2027. The league also landed a big financial deal — a London-based sports investment company called APEX agreed to invest up to $30 million in the league. On top of that, the Canadian government had already pledged $5.45 million on the same day as the league's first championship game last year.

Midfielder Quinn, who plays for the Vancouver Rise, said the league has already set a high bar. Quinn played for the Seattle Reign in the United States before joining the Rise as one of its first signings. "I know my first season in the NWSL was nothing compared to where the NSL is now," Quinn said. "I think the crowds that we have, the resources that every team has, it's really set a great bar for what it can look like."

The NSL's growth is part of a bigger trend happening around the world. In the United States, the National Women's Soccer League added two new teams this season — the Boston Legacy and the Denver Summit. Two more teams in Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio, are set to join in 2028. In England, the Women's Super League added Birmingham City and Crystal Palace, bringing it to 14 teams.

Before the NSL started, Canada was one of only two countries that played in the 2023 Women's World Cup without a professional women's league at home. The other country was Haiti. Canadian national team players had long wished for a league to play in back home. That wish came true in 2024.

The league launched with six teams: the Halifax Tides, Montreal Roses, Calgary Wild, Ottawa Rapid, AFC Toronto, and the Vancouver Rise. Big companies like Coca-Cola, Toyota, and DoorDash signed on as sponsors right away. Quinn scored the very first goal in league history, converting a penalty kick to give Vancouver a 1-0 win over Calgary in front of more than 14,000 fans at BC Place.

The Rise went on to win the first-ever NSL championship, beating AFC Toronto 2-1 before 12,429 fans at BMO Field in Toronto. It was a strong finish to a season that exceeded expectations for the league. NSL president Christina Litz said the league hit all of its key goals for the first year, including attendance numbers, TV ratings, and business partnerships. "I would say the theme of Year 2 has been the long-term growth and stability of this league," she said.

The new Winnipeg team will be co-founded by Desiree Scott, another former Canadian national team player who won gold at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Scott will serve as vice president of community and player experience for the new club. Former Portland Thorns coach Rob Gale will be the team's chief sporting officer.

Canada Soccer also announced a new tournament called the W Canadian Championship. It gives NSL teams a path to compete in the 2027 CONCACAF W Champions Cup and the 2028 Women's Club World Cup. The quarterfinals wrap up in October, with the semifinals and final set for next year.

As the current NSL season heads toward its finish, the Ottawa Rapid lead the standings by two points over the Montreal Roses. The two-legged semifinals begin on October 31, and the championship final is set for November 14. Fans across Canada are watching closely to see who will take the trophy this year.

Vancouver Rise midfielder Nikki Stanton has played in both the American NWSL and the Canadian NSL. She said the first season was beyond anything she expected. "Last year blew all my expectations out of the water," Stanton said. "I can only see it growing up from here and I'm already loving it and it's one of the best things to be involved in this league."