Canada names 14-player roster for inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Nov 07, 2025 11:27 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours ago

Goalkeeper Lea Palacio and guardant Esther Brossard volition pb Canada astatine the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women's World Cup aboriginal this period successful the Philippines.

The 16-team tourney runs Nov. 21 to Dec. 7 successful Pasig City, Metropolitan Manila, with Canada drawn successful a challenging Group B alongside Spain, Thailand and Colombia.

Spain has won each 3 editions of the UEFA Women's Futsal Championship portion Thailand was runner-up astatine the AFC Women's Futsal Asian Cup successful May. Colombia finished 3rd astatine the CONMEBOL Championship successful March.

But Canada turned heads by winning the first-ever CONCACAF W Futsal Championship successful melodramatic manner earlier this twelvemonth successful Guatemala.

Canada booked its summons to the World Cup by defeating Mexico successful a punishment shootout to scope the last of the eight-team lawsuit successful Guatemala City. Canada past downed Panama 8-2 successful the May 4 title game.

Canada and Panama volition correspond the portion astatine the World Cup.

"I deliberation we made our state arrogant by qualifying successful the mode we did," said Canada manager Alexandre Da Rocha. "We'd conscionable similar to surf connected that question again, conscionable marque definite that careless of results that we get that radical volition beryllium arrogant of the squad that they'll beryllium seeing."

Futsal is simply a five-a-side indoor crippled played successful 2 20-minute halves. Like hockey, teams tin marque changes connected the fly.

Da Rocha's 14-player World Cup roster includes 12 returnees from the CONCACAF campaign. They see Palacio, named Best Goalkeeper astatine the CONCACAF Championship, and Brossard, who was named Best Player aft starring the tourney with 8 goals.

The additions are defender Katerine Delev and guardant Magali Gagne.

The squad leaves for the Philippines adjacent Tuesday for a pre-tournament camp. Canada opens against Colombia connected Nov. 22 earlier facing Thailand connected Nov. 25 and Spain connected Nov. 28.

The Canadians, whose clip unneurotic since qualifying has been constricted to abbreviated camps successful August and October, volition play warmup games against Poland, the Philippines and Argentina.

Group A features the big Philippines, Poland, Morocco and Argentina portion Group C includes Portugal, Tanzania, Japan and New Zealand. Group D is made up of Brazil, Iran, Italy and Panama.

The apical 2 teams from each of the 4 groups determination connected to the knockout stage.

Female futsal players person agelong campaigned for a FIFA championship. In 2022, the International Women's Futsal Players Association condemned FIFAs "public neglect towards women futsal players."

FIFA held the archetypal Futsal Men's World Cup successful 1989 with the 2024 variation featuring 24 teams. Defending champion Brazil has won six of the 10 tournaments to date, finishing runner-up erstwhile and 3rd twice.

Canada has not participated since being 1 of the 16 invited countries for the inaugural men's tournament, failing to beforehand retired of the archetypal circular aft losing to Argentina and Belgium earlier downing Japan.

That 1989 futsal squad included Paul Dolan, Pat Harrington, Nick De Santis, Eddy Berdusco, Lyndon Hooper and Alex Bunbury. Dolan was besides a subordinate of Canada's 1986 FIFA World Cup squad successful Mexico.

There person been 8 editions of the CONCACAF Men's Futsal Championship with Canada participating successful 4 of them. The Canadians' champion showing was making the quarterfinals, successful some 2021 and 2024.

Canadian roster

Goalkeepers: Lea Palacio, Montreal, FC Grenadieres; Jadyn Steinhauer, Saskatoon, SK Impact FC.

Fixos (defenders): Katerine Delev, Gatineau, Que., Gotham City; Maude Lagace, Laval, Que., Xtreme FCL; Sophie Therien, Montreal, Xtreme FCL.

Alas (wingers): Stephie-Ann Dadaille, Laval, Que., Atletico Montreal; Shayla He, Montreal, FC Underdogs; Erica Hindmarsh, Saskatoon, SK Impact FC; Jade Houmphanh, Saskatoon, SK Impact FC; Erika Pion, Repentigny, Que., Atletico Montreal.

Pivos (forwards): Esther Brossard, Montreal, Lehigh University; Cynthia Gaspar-Freire, Quebec City, Xtreme FCL; Magali Gagne, Montreal, UDFC; Joelle Gosselin, Quebec City, Xtreme FCL.