TORONTO — Canada will play Ukraine and the Ivory Coast in June at Toronto's BMO Field in a new four-team men's soccer tournament called the Canadian Shield.
New Zealand is the other team taking part in the event, which consists of doubleheaders June 7 and June 10.
Canada will open the tournament June 7 against Ukraine, with New Zealand taking on the Ivory Coast in the nightcap. On June 10, it's New Zealand versus Ukraine followed by Canada versus the Ivory Coast.
Tickets for each day will provide access to both games.
The competition serves as an appetizer ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which Canada is co-hosting, while offering top opposition for the Canadian men.
Ukraine is currently ranked 25th in the world while Ivory Coast is No. 46 and New Zealand No. 89.
Canada, ranked 31st, has played Ukraine just once, a 2-2 draw in Kyiv in an October 2010 friendly. It has never faced Ivory Coast.
"Ukrainian community in Canada has always supported our national team worldwide and now it is our turn to visit them," Andriy Shevchenko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Football, said in a statement. "Canada is a strong partner of Ukraine and we are pleased to accept this invitation."
Shevchenko, a former star forward with Chelsea, AC Milan and Dynamo Kyiv who won 111 caps for Ukraine, played for Ukraine in the 2010 game with Canada.
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Faé said the tournament will "allow us to get a feel for the local conditions."
"We are used to playing against African teams, but this time, we will have the chance to test ourselves against North American and Oceanian teams, who have a different style of play," he added in a statement. "It’s a fantastic opportunity for our development."
Toronto is scheduled to host six games at the 2026 World Cup, with Vancouver staging the other seven slated for Canada.
"We all want our Canadian national team to shine on the world stage," MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in an interview.
Pelley says MLSE plans to "create as many opportunities for the Canadian national team to compete against the world's best football/soccer nations.
"We've not announced all of them but in 2025, we will have six games (at BMO Field) where Canada will play nations ranked inside the top 100 in the world, including five inside the top 50 and two inside the top 25."
The Canadian Shield is the first step down that path. MLSE says the tournament will be an annual event, possibly with more teams in the field.
There will also be two Canadian women's games, yet to be announced, at BMO Field this year.
Pelley, who is part of the ownership group of Birmingham City which currently tops England's third-tier League One, has also said he wants to bring more club friendlies to BMO Field.
BMO Field is owned by the City of Toronto but managed by MLSE which owns the stadium's two major tenants — Major League Soccer's Toronto FC and the CFL's Argonauts
Coach Jesse Marsch and the Canadians are currently in California preparing for Thursday's CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against No. 19 Mexico. The winner will face either the 16th-ranked U.S. or No. 36 Panama in the final with the loser dropping into the third-place game, also Sunday.
The June event will also help Canada prepare for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, which runs June 14 and July 6 across 14 North American stadiums including Vancouver's B.C. Place.
“Every competitive match from now until the World Cup will be critical to get our team the preparation it needs ahead of welcoming the world next year," Marsch said in a statement. "This is an extraordinary addition to our annual competitive calendar and to be able to play at home in front of our fans again will be really special for our guys."
Ukraine, which celebrated its independence in 1991, reached the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup where it was knocked out by eventual champion Italy. Ivory Coast, which won its independence in 1960, made it to the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2104 but never made it out of the group stage.
Canada took part in the 1986 and 2022 World Cups, also failing to reach the knockout stage.
The Ukraine and Ivory Coast games add to a Canadian men's dance card that also includes No. 38 Romania and No. 29 Wales in September.
The June tournament is being presented by MLSE, Sportfive and MIB Sport Agency in partnership with Canada Soccer.
Sportfive is an international sport agency whose headquarters is in Germany. MIB Sport Agency, based in Dubai, specializes in football management services, including organizing tournaments.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2025
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
