Canadian Premier League on the move, in part due to funds from FIFA Forward program

As the Canadian Premier League wraps up its sixth season on Saturday in Calgary, it can thank the world governing body of soccer for help getting there.

FIFA has earmarked US$500,000 a year to the Canadian men's league, via Canada Soccer, with the funding going towards the travel, accommodation and match fees of the league鈥檚 referees, as well as supporting travel and accommodation budgets of the eight teams.

"We invest that into everything from paying referees to travelling and building our infrastructure," CPL commissioner Mark Noonan said Friday in Calgary. "We're grateful to be participating in it.

"It helps FIFA too. We have a top-10 economy here in Canada, but we're still a baby when it comes to soccer, so if Canada grows up in this sport, it's really good for FIFA. We don't expect it's going to last forever, but it's really helpful as we are in our developmental stage."

The funding is part of the FIFA Forward program, which the world governing body bills as the "world鈥檚 largest sport development fund."

FIFA says the program, divided into World Cup cycles, will have invested US$5 billion in football by the end of FIFA Forward 3.0, which covers 2023 to 2026.

FIFA says the first two cycles of the program (FIFA Forward 1.0 and 2.0) made a combined US$2.8 billion available for investment to FIFA鈥檚 211-member associations, as well as in the six confederations. FIFA Forward 3.0 is worth US$225 billion, an increase of some 30 per cent over the previous World Cup cycle.

FIFA Forward funds have supported the CPL since its inception in 2019 with FIFA calling the Canadian men's league 鈥渁 crucial component in Canada鈥檚 football development pathway."

The fund also helps leagues in the Dominican Republic, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, among other projects, as well as a women's cup competition in Argentina.

Jair Bertoni, FIFA's director of member associations Americas, says while funds have already been allocated for the current cycle, they have already heard from the Northern Super League, the new Canadian women's circuit is set to kick off in April.

"At this moment in time they are in conversation with our women's football division," he said from Paris.

FIFA Forward was created in 2016 by president Gianni Infantino as a more formal way of distributing some of its profits, which come mainly from the World Cup, FIFA's major money-maker.

The latest four year-cycle sees up to US$5 million for each member association to cover operational costs in relation to football activities plus US$3 million "to execute well-planned, specific football projects that contribute to the achievement of long-term football development objectives."

There is also funding for education and training, and investment in IT and digital media among other things.

The projects have to be approved by FIFA with member associations signing contracts to formalize the plans.

"In the past, it was much more divided," said Bertoni.

In Canada, FIFA Forward funds also helped launch the first-ever Player Development Program (PDP) Championship, held in August in Edmonton with 28 teams, from Alberta. B.C., Ontario and Quebec, competing at the under-15 and U-17 level.

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