2026 CPL Season Preview: Cavalry FC

Cavalry FC's 2026 Canadian Premier League season kicks off Sunday, April 5 at Pacific FC. Their home opener is Sunday, April 12 vs. Atlético Ottawa. Secure your tickets today.

Call it Cavalry 3.0.

The Calgary side come into 2026 itching for silverware after making some splashy changes to the roster over the winter. They're one of the CPL's perennial powerhouses, but they left last year empty-handed; Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and co. are therefore keen on winning at least one, if not several trophies this time around.

Story of 2025

2025 CPL regular season record (W-D-L): 11-9-8 (42 points, 3rd place)
Goals scored: 47
Goals against: 36
Goal difference: +11
Top scorer: Ali Musse (9)
Canadian Championship: Lost in quarterfinals to Vancouver FC

Last year was a bit of a strange one for the Cavs, who entered 2025 as defending champions. Although they started the CPL campaign with a couple of frustrating results, they pushed into a playoff spot in Matchweek 5 and never dropped out again.

Cavalry sat third in the CPL the entire second half of the season, and results continued to improve. They lost just two of the last 11 games of the regular season, and they were the club to finally beat Forge in August to end the Hammers' bid for an unbeaten campaign.

Although they remained in a close fight with the two sides below them right up until the final day, Cavalry never dropped down the table and entered the playoffs with the third seed.

It was in the postseason that things really took off for the Cavs. They handily dispatched Inter Toronto (then York United) in their first match, and then — for a second straight year — beat Forge at Hamilton Stadium to book a trip to the CPL Final.

The Final itself was quite the spectacle in the snow at TD Place, where Cavalry took the lead in the first half, only for Atlético Ottawa's David Rodríguez to equalize in spectacular fashion, then score the extra-time winner as the Cavs left empty-handed.

Arrivals and Departures

Head coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr. made some difficult decisions over the course of this off-season. The club said goodbye to a few veterans, including captain Marco Carducci, as well as fellow CPL Final starters Fraser Aird, Tom Field and Shamit Shome. Plus, full-back Mihail Gherasimencov returned from his loan to the Vancouver Whitecaps.

In total, the players Cavalry moved on from combined for 184 appearances and 11,956 minutes played in the 2025 regular season.

It's a new era in Calgary, though. Nathan Ingham — a reigning CPL champion, 2025 Golden Glove nominee and former Atlético Ottawa captain — will be the new starting goalkeeper. Joining Ingham, also from Atlético, is Amer Didić, who missed most of last year with a broken leg but will be one of the league's most formidable centre-backs when back up to speed.

Also adding to a stacked backline is Adam Pearlman, in on loan from Toronto FC; he had a breakout year with the Halifax Wanderers last season and can line up in a variety of defensive positions. Plus, CanMNT-capped Harry Paton has joined in midfield.

There's a ton to like about the new faces Cavalry have brought in.

3 Players to Watch

FW - Tobias Warschewski

The German forward is absolutely unstoppable when he gets into form, as he did in the playoffs the past two seasons. He scored three goals in last year's postseason, which brought him to 14 in all competitions in 2025.

Warschewski has the size and strength to be a handful for defenders, but he's quick with his feet and can dance into gaps just as well. He's always a threat to shoot from distance, and he can pick out a through ball to a winger in behind as well. He'll have his eyes on another Golden Boot award.

GK - Nathan Ingham

Ingham was a fierce leader for Ottawa the past four years, wearing the armband as they won the club's first North Star Cup in 2025. Now, he's moved to Calgary in search of a new challenge.

The 32-year-old has been nominated for the Golden Glove award three times, including last year, and he might be eager to finally win it this time around. He's one of the CPL's best shot-stoppers, having made some outrageous saves for Atleti last year, and he can organize a backline like nobody else in the league.

FW - Goteh Ntignee

The 23-year-old winger is an electrifying presence; he's one of the fastest players in the CPL and loves to attack defenders with the ball at his feet. He returned to Cavalry midway through last season after a stint in France, and in just 13 games he produced four goals and two assists.

Ntignee is likely to patrol the left flank for the Cavs this season; he and his opposite wing partner, Ali Musse, should be an absolute nightmare for opposing full-backs to track.

2026 Outlook

Cavalry aim for trophies every season, but this year it feels like anything less would be disappointing. On paper, this is arguably the strongest side in the CPL, with reinforcements arriving in every area of the pitch.

The defence, in particular, should be a strength for the Cavs. A centre-back duo of Amer Didić and Daan Klomp could well be the best pairing in the CPL, complemented by Pearlman on the right and either Bradley Kamdem-Fewo or newcomer Curtis Ofori on the left. Even on the rare occasions a team does break through, Nathan Ingham will be there in goal. This team will be exceptionally hard to score against.

This team could be primed to hit the ground running early in the campaign. They've traditionally started slow — Cavalry have still never won a match in April — but they had a more coherent, uninterrupted pre-season than the last couple of years, by virtue of not playing in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Of course, Cavalry's aim will be to qualify for next year's Concacaf tournament by winning the CPL Shield or North Star Cup.

U-21 Spotlight

Although the Cavs' squad has a lot of experience, they'll need contributions from their youngsters this year too. Niko Myroniuk has reportedly been impressing consistently in pre-season for the club, and he's probably in line for an increase in minutes in Cavalry's midfield this year.

James McGlinchey, meanwhile, signed an Exceptional Young Talent contract late last season and will be looking to take the next step as a full-time pro this year. He represented Canada's U-20s over the off-season, and should come into 2026 with more confidence.

Projected XI

(4-2-3-1): Ingham; Pearlman, Didić, Klomp, Ofori; Paton, Baldisimo; Musse, Camargo, Ntignee; Warschewski

Roster Notes

2026 Kit

Cavalry FC's 2026 kits by hummel are available for purchase here.