In their past six matches, Vancouver FC have faced some formidable opposition.
They took on Concacaf and MLS runners-up, the Vancouver Whitecaps, in the 2025 TELUS Canadian Championship final. They then faced eventual CPL champions Atlético Ottawa, CPL Shield winners Forge and finalists Cavalry to finish the 2025 regular season — earning draws against all three.
VFC kicked off 2026 by facing the defending Concacaf champions themselves, Cruz Azul, in their first-ever continental appearance.
While the results did not always go the way they would have hoped, there's no doubt that the Eagles come into the 2026 Canadian Premier League season more battle-tested than ever before. In those matches, and particularly the run to the Canadian Championship final, the team began to believe in its potential.
"I think we learned how good we can be," attacker Thierno Bah told CPLSoccer.com.
Now, it is about realizing that on the pitch. After missing the playoffs in their first three seasons as a club, finishing bottom of the table this past year, Vancouver FC are ready to turn their potential into key progress, and, ideally, a first-ever playoff appearance.
Playing against two of the best teams on the continent over the past six months may have been a baptism by fire, but it also gave them an important window into what it means to take a step forward.
"Honestly, that the game is not only played with your feet," said Bah. "A lot of our players can replicate some things that they do, but they're so much faster, in their head, which makes the feet part so easy. It's like they think ahead and it feels like they're almost steps ahead when playing against you."
He says that the mental side of the game is a big focus for him and the team as they enter 2026. Head coach Martin Nash always preaches that the team should leave the pitch just as mentally exhausted as they are physically.
Following their Concacaf Champions Cup run, the team made a few crucial additions that will help significantly in this regard. Lys Mousset, a French forward who played 99 games and scored nine goals in the English Premier League, is already making an impact on his new teammates.
"Having that experience from Mousset, he comes in and he brings a different sort of leadership, as in he leads by example," said Bah. "He shows people 'look this is the way it's supposed to be done' and how we're supposed to be training."
Add CPL veteran full-backs Morey Doner and Tom Field, as well as Swedish central defender Isak Ssewankambo into the mix, and this team has significantly more experience.
"Last year, yeah, you could say we're a young team and not that much experience on the team," said Bah. "But I think people are going to struggle to have that same knock against us this year."
This year is an important one for the club. With the World Cup coming to the province, to the same BC Place Stadium where they met the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 CanChamp final, it shines a unique spotlight on the sport in the region. But they know those bright lights only matter if they can get results under them that entice people to come back.
As they kick off their season by hosting the Halifax Wanderers at Willoughby Stadium on April 4, Vancouver FC are ready for that challenge.