The earliest documented soccer game on the University of Toronto campus took place on November 9, 1861, played under unique local rules. In 1877, J.H. introduced rugby rules to U of T, laying the foundation for the modern Varsity Blues football team. Over the next century, rugby rules in Canada evolved into the modern game of Canadian football. Below, we explore the history of soccer in the city. More details are available on toronto1.one.
Early Ball Games
The earliest known examples of team ball games, using balls made from stone, occurred in ancient Mesoamerican cultures over 3,000 years ago. The Aztecs called it Tlachtli, although various versions of the game were played across large regions. In some ritual instances, the ball symbolized the sun, and the captain of the losing team was sacrificed to the gods. A unique feature of Mesoamerican ball games was the bouncing rubber ball, which no other early culture had access to.
The first known game involving kicking a ball occurred in China during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, called Cuju. This game used a round ball (stitched leather with fur or feathers inside) on a square field. A modified version of Cuju later spread to Japan, becoming the ceremonial game Kemari.
The First Soccer Match in Toronto and the National Football League
The history of soccer in Toronto and Canada is closely intertwined. As the most populous city in the country, Toronto provided the perfect setting for a sport that required 22 players on a field, ensuring its growth alongside the city’s population.
The first recorded association football match in Toronto was played on October 21, 1876, between the Carlton Cricket Club and the Toronto Lacrosse Club. Just a year later, on February 21, 1877, the Dominion Football Association was established—the first such governing body outside the British Isles. These modest beginnings cemented Toronto’s significant role in Canadian soccer.
Fast forward to 1926, when the National Soccer League (NSL) was founded as a semi-professional circuit where Toronto teams excelled. One notable team, Toronto Ulster United, exemplified a highly successful group of players. Although soccer growth slowed during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the onset of World War II reignited interest in the sport.
During the war years, the Ontario Football Association and the NSL took a hiatus from 1941 to 1947. Post-war Toronto hosted Canada’s first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifier in 1957, where the national team defeated the United States 5-1. The city’s team, the Toronto Greenbacks, competed in the North American Soccer League during 1946 and 1947. However, it wasn’t until the formation of the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League (ECPSL) in 1961 that soccer regained significant traction in Toronto.
The ECPSL featured four teams, including Toronto Italy (formerly part of the NSL) and Toronto City, a new initiative led by George Gross and Steve Stavro. Seeking star power, they traveled to Britain, securing high-profile players like Stanley Matthews. Despite being 46 years old in 1961, Matthews was a football legend and became the first footballer to receive a knighthood four years later. The league debuted in 1961, drawing 16,509 fans to Varsity Stadium to watch Toronto City play Toronto Italy.
Toronto City won the championship that year but faced setbacks the following season when England’s Football Association barred its players from summer tours. The league expanded briefly to five teams before folding in 1966. Meanwhile, Toronto City withdrew from the ill-fated United Soccer Association.
The National Professional Soccer League and Toronto Falcons
Simultaneously, a rival group of owners, including Joe Peters of Toronto Italia-Falcons, launched the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967. Without FIFA’s approval, the league relied on television deals to attract fans. In its inaugural season, Toronto City represented Hibernian of Edinburgh, Scotland, with a mixed roster of international stars. Despite strong promotion, the team struggled to make the playoffs.
In 1968, the NPSL and the United Soccer Association merged to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), aimed at sustaining soccer in North America. Toronto Falcons participated as Toronto’s representatives, but despite some star players like Ladislav Kubala, they failed to advance beyond the divisional stage.
The Merger Between USA and NPSL: The North American Soccer League
The Toronto Falcons were led by the outspoken Joe Peters, who had previously acquired Toronto Italia from the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League (ECPSL). Under the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) banner, Peters transformed the team’s identity, recruiting a host of international stars, particularly from Argentina and Spain, including legendary figures like Héctor Marinaro Sr., who served as both coach and general manager.
One notable addition to the Falcons’ roster in 1961 was the aging European superstar Ladislav Kubala, considered one of the greatest players in FC Barcelona’s history. Together with his son-in-law Janko Daucik, Kubala electrified the league. Daucik emerged as the league’s top scorer, but despite their impressive contributions, the Falcons finished fourth in their division, narrowly missing the playoffs.
In the following year, USA and NPSL merged to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), a unified league aimed at bolstering soccer across North America for the next decade. The Toronto City team voluntarily sold their franchise back to the NASL, while the Falcons represented Toronto in the league’s 1968 season.
Kubala retired from playing, but his leadership and strategic insights could not compensate for the team’s challenges. The Falcons managed to secure third place in their division, but their efforts fell short of qualifying for the playoffs. By the end of the season, the Falcons ceased operations, marking the end of a seven-year journey across four different leagues for professional soccer in Toronto.
Professional soccer would return to the city soon, however, with the emergence of the Toronto Metros in 1971, marking the next chapter in Toronto’s storied soccer history.
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