The Canadian Premier League will hold a regular-season game between York United FC and HFX Wanderers FC in Quebec City on May 31, 2025.
The match will be held at Telus Stadium, the 12,750-seat home venue of Laval University’s Laval Rouge et Or football.
This marks the second year in a row the CPL is hosting an “On Tour” game, after Vancouver FC and Cavalry FC drew 0-0 in a match held in Kelowna, BC last summer. That event drew over 6,000 soccer fans.
Canadian Premier League match ‘will assess the viability’ of possible Quebec City expansion club
The “On Tour” series of matches are being used to test the waters of expansion, by gauging interest in markets without clubs. The league currently has eight clubs, and the last new club to join the league was Atletico Ottawa in 2020.
“As we look to expand the footprint of the Canadian Premier League, there is no better way to assess the viability of a market than to bring our actual product to a prospective CPL city,” CPL commissioner Mark Noonan said in a statement.
Noonan has stated in the past that the CPL plans to expand by two clubs by 2026. But the league commissioner recently said there’s a debate within the league and its prospective markets on whether to hold off on expansion until 2027.
“The debate we’re having right now — and I’ll be incredibly transparent and candid — is does it make sense to launch a new club in 2026 with the World Cup (grabbing) the attention that year?” Noonan told Wanders Notebook recently. “Are we better off announcing, having longer to sell tickets and sponsorships and the other things you need to do in the community, and launching off the back of the World Cup in 2027?”
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Even if expansion is held off for yet another year, Noonan believes the “On Tour” series will benefit the league in the long run.
“Our inaugural CPL ‘On Tour’ match in Kelowna, B.C. was a rousing success that afforded us the opportunity to connect with the community and properly assess the feasibility of bringing a CPL franchise to that market,” he added. “We’re looking forward to doing the same in Quebec City and are expecting a memorable weekend as we continue getting to know the city and province.”
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 4, with prices starting at $12 for adults and $8 for youth.
