On Tuesday, Atlético Ottawa kicked off the 2026 TELUS Canadian Championship with a statement result, defeating record champions Toronto FC 3-1 at BMO Field.
It was the first time that eight-time Canadian champions Toronto FC had been eliminated by a CPL club, but it was the latest in a series of memorable wins for CPL clubs in the competition over the years.
Here are some of the biggest:
Cavalry FC become first CPL club to beat an MLS opponent
On July 10, 2019, Canadian Premier League clubs faced off against MLS teams for the first time in the third qualifying round of the 2019 Canadian Championship. It was a significant moment for the fledgling league.
The opportunity for CPL clubs to prove themselves against opponents from an established league was an early test of their talent and level. It’s fair to say they passed with flying colours.
That day, at York Lions Stadium, Inter Toronto (then York9 FC) also drew 2-2 with CF Montréal, having victory snatched away from them late on a stoppage-time penalty from Algerian international Saphir Taïder. Later that evening, Cavalry FC held the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 0-0 draw at ATCO Field.
York would go on to lose 1-0 at Stade Saputo and were eliminated. But Cavalry made history at BC Place. On goals from Jordan Brown and future Canadian international Dominick Zator, they defeated the MLS side 2-1 to advance to the semifinal.
Pacific FC win the first Ferryside Derby
The single-match preliminary round of the 2021 Canadian Championship saw an intriguing first B.C. battle between Pacific FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps at Starlight Stadium.
What played out on the pitch was an unforgettable night for all in attendance. In front of an electrifying atmosphere, Pacific took an early lead on a goal from Terran Campbell, and added tallies from Manuel Aparicio, Josh Heard and Alejandro Díaz to defeat the Whitecaps 4-3.
Pacific’s run came to an end in a 2-1 semifinal loss to Toronto FC at BMO Field. But later that year, on Dec. 5, they went on to win a CPL championship with a 1-0 victory over Forge FC at Hamilton Stadium.
Fourth time's the charm for Forge FC vs. CF Montréal
One certainty of recent Canadian Championships is that at some point Forge FC will meet CF Montréal.
They have done so in five consecutive CanChamp tournaments. Montréal took the first three. But when they met for the first time over two legs in the 2024 quarterfinals, it was a different story.
The first leg was an incredible spectacle, played during Forge’s inaugural school day match in front of nearly 15,000 local school kids at Hamilton Stadium. Forge took the early lead through David Choinière, before CF Montréal equalized. In leg two, early goals from Daniel Parra and Kwasi Poku made the difference, and after a lightning delay Forge held on for a 2-1 win.
Forge would go on to lose to Toronto FC in the semifinal (more on that later), but beating Montréal over two legs was a statement win for the club. In 2025, they eliminated CF Montréal again, this time with a home victory courtesy of Brian Wright, and then a 2-2 draw in Montréal with goals for Tristan Borges and Kyle Bekker.
Vancouver FC stun Atlético Ottawa to reach final
One of the biggest upsets in the recent history of the Canadian Championship actually involved two CPL clubs.
When Atlético Ottawa and Vancouver FC met on Aug. 13, 2025 at the Langley Events Centre for leg one of the semifinal, they did so on completely opposite ends of the CPL table. Atleti, who would go on to win the 2025 CPL Final, had 35 more points and 19 more goals scored than Vancouver last season.
But the cup was a clean slate, and Vancouver used that to stun Atlético Ottawa in the first leg with a 3-1 victory. It ended up being their only win in regulation during their run to the final — as they advanced through the first two rounds on penalties. The Eagles put in an outstanding defensive effort in leg two at TD Place, holding Atleti to a 1-0 loss that was enough to see VFC advance on aggregate.
In an all-B.C. final, Vancouver FC fell 4-2 to the Vancouver Whitecaps, but not without a strong fight, including a brilliant one goal, one assist performance from then 21-year-old Thierno Bah.
Forge beat Toronto FC at Hamilton Stadium
On Tuesday, Atlético Ottawa became the first Canadian Premier League club to eliminate Toronto FC from the Canadian Championship. However, they are not the first team from the league to pick up a win against the record champions.
On July 10, 2024, having just advanced past CF Montréal, Forge hosted Toronto FC at Hamilton Stadium. Just 11 minutes into the match, they delivered an unforgettable moment, as Béni Badibanga chipped Toronto FC keeper Luka Gavran from inside his own half. Three minutes later, Forge had doubled their lead on a brilliant Kwasi Poku backheel.
Unfortunately, a late goal from Prince Owusu spoiled the party, as it allowed Toronto to overturn the tie on away goals with a 1-0 victory at BMO Field the following week. But leg one’s win, with European Champions Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi on the pitch for Toronto FC, was still an incredibly memorable match and performance.