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2026 CPL–U Sports Draft
Eighth annual Canadian Premier League sports draft From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2026 CPL–U Sports Draft was the eighth annual CPL–U Sports Draft. Canadian Premier League (CPL) teams selected 16 eligible U Sports soccer players to be invited to their respective preseason camps with the opportunity to earn development contracts for the 2026 Canadian Premier League season.
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Format
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Players could be selected if they had one to four years of U Sports eligibility remaining, were in good academic standing, were planning to return to school the following year, and completed the CPL's draft declaration form. Players who were selected can sign a full professional contract or a U Sports development contract, which allows them to return to university for the following season, without losing their eligibility.[1]
Players interested in being selected were required to declare for the draft by November 13, 2025.[2] A total of 201 players declared for the draft and were eligible for selection.[3]
Each CPL team was awarded two selections in the draft. Consistent with the 2023 CPL-U Sports Draft, expansion club FC Supra du Québec would receive both the first and second overall selections in the first round (with no second round selection).[4] The remainder of the selections were awarded in reverse order of the previous season's standings, including playoffs and final standings.[5] Valour FC folded following the 2025 season, and were thus not included.[4] In addition, Inter Toronto FC's first round selection (5th overall) was traded to Vancouver FC during the 2025 season, in a transaction involving Gabriel Bitar.[4]
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Broadcasting
On November 24, the CPL confirmed the draft order and announced that the draft would be broadcast on OneSoccer, and YouTube on November 28, 2025, at 1:00 pm ET.[5]
Player selection
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| * | Denotes player who has signed a professional contract for the 2026 season |
| ^ | Denotes player who has signed a developmental contract for the 2026 season |
The following players were selected:[6]
Round 1
- Inter Toronto FC's first round pick (5th overall) went to Vancouver FC as a result of a trade on January 13, 2025 in exchange for Gabriel Bitar.[7]
Round 2
Selection statistics
Draftees by nationality
References
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