Canada Soccer’s Olympic champions will kick off a series of Women’s National Team Celebration Tour matches in Ottawa and Montréal when they face New Zealand in a pair of home matches during the October 2021 FIFA International Match Calendar. The two-match series, which will begin in the nation’s capital city, will also kick off Canada’s journey to the next FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, with Canada facing the co-hosts on Saturday 23 October at TD Place in Ottawa and then on Tuesday 26 October at Stade Saputo in Montréal.
Tickets to both matches will start as low as $25 and will go on sale to the public on Wednesday 6 October in accordance with all public health guidelines. The Saturday match will kick off at 15.00 local while the Tuesday night match will kick off at 19.30 local.
“We can’t wait to be able to celebrate, connect and play in front of our fans who cheered us on from afar in that special moment when we won Olympic Gold in Tokyo,” said Bev Priestman, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team Head Coach. “Since coming home, we have truly felt the love of the nation, so to collectively feel that sea of Canada Red will only spur us onto new heights in the next chapter of our story.”
Canada are Olympic champions for the first time after winning the Tokyo 2020 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament in Japan this year. Unbeaten across six matches, Canada Soccer achieved their best-ever result at the Olympic Games while also winning their third consecutive medal, thus “changing the colour of their medal” from back-to-back Bronze at London 2012 and Rio 2016 to Gold at Tokyo 2020 and Rising Higher on the podium.
In advance of the 6 October public ticket on sale, a special presale window will be available for #CanadaRED subscribers. To gain access to this advance presale, Canadian fans are encouraged to sign-up to become a #CanadaRED subscriber at candasoccer.com. Becoming a #CanadaRED subscriber is the best way for Canadian soccer supporters to ensure an inside track on fan promotions, advance access to National Team home matches, and the latest information on Canada Soccer activity.
Canada’s 22 Olympic champions are captain Christine Sinclair, Janine Beckie, Kadeisha Buchanan, Gabrielle Carle, Allysha Chapman, Jessie Fleming, Vanessa Gilles, Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, Stephanie Labbé, Ashley Lawrence, Adriana Leon, Erin McLeod, Nichelle Prince, Quinn, Jayde Riviere, Deanne Rose, Sophie Schmidt, Desiree Scott, Kailen Sheridan, Evelyne Viens, and Shelina Zadorsky.
Canada’s October matches, both of which will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, will also signify the start of the journey to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 and Olympic Games in 2024. While some regions have already begun FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in September and Concacaf nations begin their qualification matches in November, Canada will play their first official matches next July at the 2022 Concacaf W Championship.
“As a past FIFA Women’s World Cup host, it is fitting that Canada starts our next chapter on the road to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 against the co-hosts New Zealand and we can’t wait to start that chapter,” said Priestman.
Incidentally, both Canada and New Zealand have faced each other at the last two FIFA Women’s World Cups, both the record-setting 2015 edition hosted by Canada and the most recent edition hosted by France. The two sides drew 0:0 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton at Canada 2015, with Canada winning 2:0 in Grenoble at France 2019.
