The Canadian women’s national soccer team is set to compete against Brazil, South Korea, and Zambia in April as part of the FIFA Series, which has expanded to include 48 men’s and women’s teams for the 2026 edition.
The 2026 Series follows a successful pilot project in 2024, which featured 24 teams playing in five different locations across three continents. This year’s edition will see 36 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams divided into 12 groups of four.
Ranked 10th in the world, Canada will be facing off against the 6th-ranked Brazil, 21st-ranked South Korea, and 64th-ranked Zambia in the upcoming matches, with Brazil hosting the games. Canada’s matches against these teams will be the only ones they play in the Series.
According to Canada coach Casey Stoney, this presents an exciting opportunity for the team to challenge themselves against high-caliber opponents with diverse playing styles. Stoney emphasized the importance of playing in a country with a strong soccer culture to elevate the team’s performance and gain valuable experience.
The Canadian women’s team has a relatively balanced history against Brazil with an 11-11-10 record, including three wins in penalty shootouts. Their last encounter was in April 2024 at the SheBelieves Cup in Atlanta, which ended in victory for Canada.
In matches against South Korea, Canada boasts a strong record of 9 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss. Their most recent meeting in December 2024 resulted in a decisive 5-1 victory for Canada under interim coach Cindy Tye. Since their defeat in 2013, Canada has maintained a dominant 5-0-1 record against the Korean team.
Canada has never faced Zambia in women’s soccer competition.
The FIFA Series is aimed at providing national teams with opportunities for cross-confederation competition without adding to the international match calendar. It aims to foster technical growth, organizational development, and global exchange among participating teams.
Apart from Canada, the Ivory Coast and Thailand will also host women’s groups during the Series. The full competition schedule is yet to be announced, but games are scheduled to take place during international match windows in March and April.
On the men’s side, Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, and Uzbekistan will host groups, with Rwanda hosting two pools. Notably, five men’s teams participating have qualified for the World Cup, including Australia, Uzbekistan, Cabo Verde, Curacao, and New Zealand.
Canada will kick off its 2026 campaign at the SheBelieves Cup, where they will face Colombia, the United States, and Argentina on March 1, 4, and 7, respectively.
The Canadian women’s team concluded 2025 on a challenging note, with a five-game losing streak and a goal drought lasting 454 minutes.