It’s official: Cavalry FC and Atletico Ottawa will face each other in the 2026 CPL Final. The North Star Cup matchup is a rematch of last year’s final. However, this time Cavalry will host Ottawa at ATCO Field.
The matchup will give the host a chance to avenge last year’s loss. Ottawa, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to go back-to-back.
Last year’s final went down in Canadian Premier League history, as the North Star Cup was contested in blizzard conditions. The memorable final featured David Rodriguez’s ‘icicle kick,’ which went viral on social media.
Cavalry will be playing in their fourth straight final, while Ottawa will be playing in its second straight. The Alberta-based club will definitely hope that history does not repeat itself and that the game is not affected by the weather.
Cavalry will have a chance to complete the domestic double after capturing the CPL Shield for having the best regular season record.
Atletico Ottawa and Cavalry Impress to Earn 2026 CPL Final Berth
Atletico Ottawa and Cavalry impressed in their respective playoff matchups to earn a 2026 CPL Final berth.
Ottawa earned the final berth first by defeating Forge in entertaining fashion. It seemed like extra time would be needed to determine a winner. However, Ottawa’s Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau scored in the 103rd minute.
Fleuriau Chateau’s game-winner completed a hat-trick, as Ottawa sealed a 3-2 victory, and a 5-4 aggregate win.
What made the win even more impressive is that Forge had more momentum on their side. The Hamilton, Ontario-based club defeated MLS side CF Montreal to win the Canadian Championship last month.
Cavalry, meanwhile, overcame adversity and showcased their championship pedigree. They entered today’s match following last week’s 2-1 upset loss to expansion side Supra Du Quebec.
The reigning CPL Shield winners took care of business at home, defeating Supra 2-0 to secure a 3-2 victory on aggregate.
Now, Cavalry and Ottawa will meet again in the 2026 CPL Final.
Tommy Wheeldon Jr. Reacts to Playing in Fourth Straight CPL Final
Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. weighed in and shared his reaction to his team securing a fourth straight final berth.
Wheeldon Jr. has been Cavalry’s head coach since the league’s inception in 2019. Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis is the only other coach to have done the same.
Wheeldon Jr. expressed excitement about reaching the finals once again. He is confident in his team’s chances, particularly with the home-field advantage.
“Last time we played [a CPL Final] at home, we got pretty good memories. So, nice that it’s a rematch of last year. Hopefully there’s no snowgate 2.0, and we have a good game,” Wheeldon told OneSoccer. “I’m proud of the lads because I think they were written off because of the way they ended the season, which I think we took personally. And, we put in a fighters’ performance and got the goals we needed, and kept [Supra] away from ours.”
He continued:
“[Our players are] resilient. And I think if you’re going to do something special and lift a trophy, whether it’s the Shield or the North Star, you got to have some element of resistance and resilience. And I think we showed that in spades today,” Wheeldon Jr. said.
2026 CPL Final: Cavalry to Host Atletico Ottawa in Championship Rematch