2026 CPL Season Preview: Vancouver FC

Vancouver FC's 2026 Canadian Premier League season kicks off Saturday, April 4 vs. Halifax Wanderers FC. Secure your tickets today.

Vancouver FC's 2026 season took flight earlier than ever before, with the club competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time in February. 

Despite being eliminated by the defending champions, Cruz Azul, it was a historic experience for the young club. 

Now, they aim for more club history in their fourth CPL season: a first-ever playoff appearance. With Martin Nash now officially at the helm and a squad reinforced by CPL veterans and exciting international recruits, the Eagles feel ready to reach new heights in 2026. 

Story of 2025

2025 CPL regular season record (W-D-L): 4-9-15 (21 pts, 8th place)
Goals scored: 35
Goals against: 57
Goal difference: -22
Top scorer: Pathé Ndiaye, Hugo Mbongue (6)
Canadian Championship: Runners-up (lost final to Vancouver Whitecaps)

The story of the Eagles' 2025 season is told in two parts. Let's start with the bad news: They finished dead last in the CPL for the first time in club history and won just four regular-season games. That led to the departure of coach Afshin Ghotbi on July 23, replaced by Martin Nash in the interim.

On the other hand, the Canadian Championship provided reason for real optimism for the young club. Beating Pacific FC, Cavalry and then Atlético Ottawa, they became the first CPL club to reach a final in a full tournament. They gave a good account of themselves in the final as well, ultimately losing 4-2 to the Whitecaps. That allowed them to begin this year in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but also demonstrated the ability of their core group to get results.

Arrivals and Departures

It has been a fairly busy off-season of change for the Eagles, and that even includes the period since the Concacaf Champions Cup with the recent departures of midfielders Vasco Fry and David Norman Jr. The club has brought in some solid options in that position, including CPL veteran Marcello Polisi and Damiano Pecile, who formed a good partnership during Concacaf action.

Mohamed Amissi looks like a promising option up top, while veteran defender Isak Ssewankambo arrives with plenty of top-flight experience in Europe. Experienced CPL players like Tom Field and Morey Doner round out a tidy off-season of business for Vancouver FC. 

A late addition to the group worth keeping an eye on is striker Lys Mousset. The French forward has perhaps the best resumé in the CPL, having played 99 games in the English Premier League for Bournemouth and Sheffield United. If VFC can get him firing on all cylinders, he could be a huge attacking threat.

3 Players to Watch

GK - Callum Irving

Vancouver FC's captain has played all but one match in the club's history, and enters their fourth season as a vital member of the core. An excellent shot-stopper, he has led the league in saves made each of the past three seasons. 

MF - Nicolás Mezquida

The tempo-setter for Vancouver FC, Mezquida was excellent in his first season with the Eagles. The midfielder scored eight goals in all competitions to go with a pair of assists. 

FW - Thierno Bah

Bah looks to build on a breakout campaign that earned him a nomination for Best Canadian U-21 Player this past season. In all competitions, he had three goals and nine assists, including a goal and an assist in the CanChamp final.

2026 Outlook

The Martin Nash era truly begins in Vancouver as his interim tag was removed over the off-season. The team improved its results once he took over last season, going from 1-6-9 under Afshin Ghotbi to 3-4-6 — including going undefeated through the final six matches of the year.

Overall, though, they will need to improve in a few areas. The clearest is their record at home, where they won just twice in CPL action last season — the fewest home wins by a team in league history. Both of those came late in the year. They also dropped a joint league-record 22 points from winning positions.

What is positive, however, is that the team appears to be building a clear identity, centred on strong defending and workrate, that is making them increasingly difficult to play against. 

U-21 Spotlight

As is their mandate, Vancouver FC once again enter this season with an exciting crop of young Canadian talent. The most promising remains 18-year-old midfielder Emrick Fotsing, who scored four goals in his first professional season last year. 

Kian Proctor, 20, is another exciting young player to watch who showed well in the Concacaf Champions Cup and could be in line for solid minutes this season per Nash. Canadian youth international Kevin Podgorni, 18, and U SPORTS standout Henri Godbout, 20, look to take another step forward in their sophomore seasons, while newcomer Marsel Bibishkov is coming off a strong showing for Canada's U-20 side. 

Projected XI

(4-2-3-1): Irving; Doner, Campagna, Ssewankambo, Field; Polisi, Fosting; Campbell, Mezquida, Bah; Amissi

Roster Notes

2026 Kit

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