Every team in the Canadian Premier League has now played 25 games, with three weeks left in the regular season.
So far, three sides — Cavalry FC, Forge FC and Atlético Ottawa — have clinched spots in the 2026 CPL Playoffs, with the CPL Shield still hanging in the balance between the top two.
One more team will join those three in the postseason, and currently, there are four clubs that could still claim that spot.
Vancouver FC have occupied fourth place since the summer, but they have been watching from home for almost two weeks as all of the teams chasing them have made up ground.
FC Supra du Québec are currently the closest challengers after massive wins over Pacific and Inter Toronto in the last week. VFC and Supra play each other on Saturday, and the winner will exit the weekend in control of fourth place.
We could narrow the field to just two sides fighting for the last spot in Matchweek 25 — or the picture could get even murkier.
As a reminder, here's how the league table looks right now:
| Pos. | Team | GP | W | D | L | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x - Cavalry FC | 25 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 53 |
| 2 | x - Forge FC | 25 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 51 |
| 3 | x - Atlético Ottawa | 25 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 40 |
| 4 | Vancouver FC | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 33 |
| 5 | FC Supra du Québec | 25 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 31 |
| 6 | Halifax Wanderers FC | 25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 27 |
| 7 | Inter Toronto | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 27 |
| 8 | e - Pacific FC | 25 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 14 |
Don't forget, the first tiebreaker in the CPL is total wins, followed by head-to-head record.
Now, let's take a closer look at those four sides still fighting for the last playoff spot.
Here's what the final three matches look like for each of Vancouver, Supra, Halifax and Toronto (home games in green, away in red):
| Vancouver FC | FC Supra du Québec | Halifax Wanderers | Inter Toronto |
|---|---|---|---|
| @ FC Supra | vs. Vancouver FC | vs. Cavalry FC | @ Forge FC |
| vs. Halifax Wanderers | vs. Inter Toronto | @ Vancouver FC | @ FC Supra |
| @ Cavalry FC | @ Halifax Wanderers | vs. FC Supra | vs. Atlético Ottawa |
So, what does the path to the playoffs look like for each of these teams? What needs to happen for any of them to get into the top four?
Here's a team-by-team breakdown.
Vancouver FC (4th, 33 points)
Remaining Schedule:
- @ FC Supra du Québec (Saturday, Oct. 10)
- vs. Halifax Wanderers (Friday, Oct. 16)
- @ Cavalry FC (Sunday, Oct. 25)
What They Need:
A win, basically. Ideally against Supra this weekend.
Vancouver remain in control of their own destiny, and if they take care of business, they'll be in the playoffs for the first time in club history.
The Eagles have been sitting at home scoreboard-watching for over a week now, and they've watched anxiously as the teams below them picked up results.
That match on Saturday is enormous, though. If they lose, they'll fall behind Supra, who have a relatively more favourable schedule the last two weeks.
The good news for Martin Nash and the Eagles is they have already clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker with Supra; they have a 2-1-0 (W-D-L) record against the Quebecois side, so they'd come out on top if the teams finish level on points and wins.
However, if VFC can't at least pick up a point in Laval, things become much trickier. That final home game against Halifax is pretty much must-win, considering the away trip to Cavalry FC on the last day of the regular season.
Vancouver have a poor record against the Wanderers this year, losing all three meetings 1-0. However, they've got six wins in 13 home matches to date, so they'll still be confident of a victory there. If not, well, the Eagles have one win against the Cavs this season, but they've never beaten them at ATCO Field in their four CPL seasons.
FC Supra du Québec (5th, 31 points)
Remaining Schedule:
- vs. Vancouver FC (Saturday, Oct. 10)
- vs. Inter Toronto (Friday, Oct. 16)
- @ Halifax Wanderers (Sunday, Oct. 25)
What They Need:
To do it themselves against Vancouver.
A late push that once looked impossible is now very much on the table. In two games since Kyt Selaidopoulos took over as head coach, Supra have added six points to the ledger, and now they enter the weekend with momentum.
Supra could jump above the playoff line for the first time since Matchweek 10 if they beat Vancouver on Saturday. They haven't managed to beat the Eagles yet this season, but there's no time like the present, right?
Hope isn't lost if they don't beat Vancouver, although a loss would be a significant blow. However, Supra are the only one of the four teams competing for the last playoff spot that don't have to play one of Cavalry or Forge in the last three weeks. Back-to-back home games against Vancouver and Inter Toronto (who they just beat on Wednesday) is about as golden an opportunity as they could ask for.
Supra have a poor record against Vancouver this year, but they're 2-1-0 against Inter Toronto and 2-0-1 against Halifax, so they've proven they can do well against both of those sides. With a new head coach at the helm, two more games at Stade Boréale, and Loïc Kwemi chasing the Golden Boot, there are plenty of reasons to believe Supra can sneak into the top four in their first season.
Halifax Wanderers (6th, 27 points)
Remaining Schedule:
- vs. Cavalry FC (Monday, Oct. 12)
- @ Vancouver FC (Friday, Oct. 16)
- vs. FC Supra du Québec (Sunday, Oct. 25)
What They Need:
A win against Cavalry.
The Wanderers are in a precarious situation. They could be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention as early as Monday, if they don't beat Cavalry. In fact, three points at the Wanderers Grounds would be the only way to ensure Halifax stay alive beyond this weekend. Even if Halifax manage a draw with the Cavs, they would still need Supra-Vancouver to end in a draw as well.
This Monday's is undoubtedly the hardest of their three remaining games, considering how desperate Cavalry will be for a win after losing their last two. Plus, the Wanderers are 0-1-2 in games against the Cavs this season, including a 3-1 loss at home a month ago. However, if Halifax do manage to pull off the victory, they might have a chance at the comeback.
Vanni Sartini's side has a good record against Vancouver; if they were to complete the sweep of the Eagles in Vancouver in Matchweek 26, they'd be in an excellent position to punch their own ticket the final week against Supra.
They'll probably have to beat Cavalry, though.
Inter Toronto (7th, 27 points)
Remaining Schedule:
- @ Forge FC (Monday, Oct. 12)
- @ FC Supra du Québec (Friday, Oct. 16)
- vs. Atlético Ottawa (Sunday, Oct. 25)
What They Need:
A lot of help, honestly.
After Wednesday's loss to Supra, Inter Toronto's fate does not rest in their hands. Of course, all they can really do now is go out and try to win each of their remaining games, but the six-point gap is hard to overcome in three weeks.
The fact that Supra and Vancouver play on Saturday makes it even tougher; if VFC win, a nine-point gap is insurmountable because Inter Toronto couldn't match their total of 10 wins. If Supra win, the gap is seven — the same as the gap would be to Vancouver if that match is a draw.
Toronto have to win out. Because at least one of Vancouver or Supra is guaranteed to hit 34 points, a draw on Monday against Forge isn't really good enough, since Toronto would have a maximum of just eight wins.
If they don't win in Hamilton, Inter's playoff chances will officially be zero.
