2026 CPL Season Preview: Forge FC

Forge FC's 2026 Canadian Premier League season kicks off Saturday, April 4 vs. Atlético Ottawa. Secure your tickets today.

For a fourth straight season, Forge FC lifted silverware in 2025 as they topped the table to win the CPL Shield. 

But last season also saw another historic streak come to an end, as for the first time in the league's seven-year history, Forge did not make the CPL Final. While they lost just four matches against CPL opponents all year, the fact that two of those came in the playoffs will undoubtedly sting.  

A hungry Forge is a dangerous thing, and that is exactly the state in which they enter the 2026 season, looking to return to the CPL's summit.  

Story of 2025

2025 CPL regular season record (W-D-L): 16-10-2 (58 pts, 1st place)
Goals scored: 51
Goals against: 22
Goal difference: 29
Top scorer: Brian Wright (12)
Canadian Championship: Lost in the semifinal to the Vancouver Whitecaps

Forge FC began the 2025 season by going on a historic 20-match unbeaten run in the league, which lifted them to the top of the table, a position they never relinquished. 

They also once again made a strong run in the Canadian Championship, defeating CF Montréal in the quarter-final before falling to eventual champions the Vancouver Whitecaps in the semifinal. 

Where the club will be a little disappointed, however, is in how the playoffs went. They lost back-to-back games at home, 2-1 to Atlético Ottawa in the championship semifinal, before losing the contender semi-final 1-0 to Cavalry.

Arrivals and Departures

Forge saw some of the least turnover in the league this offseason, but lost some of the key pillars of their past and recent success. The past few months saw 2025 Golden Glove winner Jassem Koleilat, star midfielder Alessandro Hojabrpour and day one players, and club legends, Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson and David Choinière all depart the club. 

They did bring back another Forge original, central defender Daniel Krutzen, who will help with some of the departures across the backline. Central defender Antoine Batisse and goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud both looked solid in Concacaf action, while young attackers Ismael Oketokoun and the returning Kevaughn Tavernier add further weapons up top.

3 Players to Watch

GK - Dimitry Bertaud

Among the highest profile players to join the league this off-season, 27-year-old goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud joins Forge following eight seasons in Ligue1 with Montpellier. A DR Congo international with 15 caps, he had an unbelievable Forge debut with seven saves against Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

DF - Dan Nimick

The reigning CPL Defender of the Year, Nimick enters his second year with Forge as the centrepiece of their backline. The 25-year-old is outstanding both with and without the ball, leading the CPL last season in posession won in the defensive third and won 71.7 per cent of his duels, while also completing 91 per cent of his passes, 291 of which were long balls. 

MF - Kyle Bekker

Forge's captain isn't showing any signs of slowing down as he enters his eighth year with the Hamilton club. He was again nominated for the league's Player of the Year award in 2025, and finished seventh in the league in Players' Player of the Year voting by his peers. Likely to become the CPL's all-time appearance leader this season, now that former teammate Achinioti-Jönsson has departed, he continues to lead this Forge team by example.

2026 Outlook

There's no doubt that Forge once again enters this season as favourites, both as a result of their cast of returning players and the calibre of their new recruits. They once again boast a deep and experienced squad at every position capable of dealing with the travel and challenges of a busy CPL season. 

What remains to be seen is how players step into the holes left by the star departures of Koleilat, Achinioti-Jönsson, Hojabrpour and Choinière. This group will also be perhaps more focused than last year on making sure they peak at the right time of year, and know what their best eleven is once they get to the business end of the season. 

U-21 Spotlight

Forge have one of the most exciting U-21 groups in the CPL. The obvious standout is Hoce Massunda, who was nominated for the league's Best Canadian U-21 Player of the Year award in 2025 and is a leading contender to win it this year. Khadim Kane, meanwhile, was solid through the first half of last season before suffering an injury, while Zayne Bruno has been a standout of late with the Canadian youth national teams. As has Kevaughn Tavernier, who returns to the club after showing great promise back in 2024, including a goal in the Concacaf Champions Cup at just 17. 

Projected XI

(4-3-3): Bertaud; Rama, Nimick, Batisse, Jevremović; Paton, Borges, Bekker; Ampomah, Wright, Massunda

Roster Notes

2026 Kit

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