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The 2026 Women’s L1 Cup will kick off with some exciting clashes as teams collide from across the three divisions.

The Women’s L1 Cup returns in 2026 with 10 matches set for the opening round of fixtures, which are set to be played in the spring.

Kingston Sentinels and Richmond Hill will make their League1 Ontario debuts this year after being announced as expansion clubs for 2026, with the latter facing Premier Division opposition in the opening round of the L1 Cup.

Richmond will travel to FC London, who reached the semifinals last year, and remained in the top tier for this season thanks to a Pro/Rel playoff victory on penalties. The Sentinels, meanwhile, were drawn against Unionville Milliken who finished seventh in the Championship in 2025.

The holders, North Toronto, could have a difficult matchup in Round Two as they await the winner of Woodbridge Strikers versus Cambridge United. A 5-1 victory in the final last year gave the Nitros their first title in this competition.

International FC, who acquired the League1 Ontario licenses formerly held by 2025 finalists Alliance United last week, will be aiming to go one better than the Markham side in this year’s L1 Cup and begin their campaign at Master’s FA in the first round.

Simcoe County Rovers won the Premier Division and League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship last season, and they are looking to add an L1 Cup trophy to their collection after consecutive semifinal exits. They will face either Rush Canada Academy of the Championship or Sudbury Cyclones of League2 in the second round.

Hopes of a cup run

Railway City have arguably the toughest test of the opening matches, with the League2 club hosting Premier Division outfit North Mississauga. Both sides were knocked out at this stage in 2025, and Railway ended the year with Promotion Playoff heartbreak, so they will be more than eager to produce an upset here.

It is going to be an all-Championship affair when Oakville host Pickering. Both teams narrowly missed out on the opportunity of a Pro/Rel Playoff in 2025 after finishing third and fourth respectively. The second round was the final stage for the pair in the cup last year, so can either reach the quarterfinals or further in 2026?

Two sides from different ends of the 2025 Championship standings face off in the first round, as the league winners Scrosoppi host Burlington. Scrosoppi secured promotion to the top tier on the final day in 2025 but fell at the first hurdle of last year’s L1 Cup against Pickering. Their opponents also crashed out at this stage last year, so both will be searching for a deeper run in 2026.

There is another all-Championship tussle when Whitby host Hamilton, and St Catharines Roma Wolves of League2 have been drawn on the road to face Tecumseh United.

This year, once the first two rounds are complete, a new draw will take place to determine the quarterfinal fixtures.