Soccer is the most popular sport in terms of participation rate in Canada. According to FIFA’s Big Count, 2,695,712 people played in Canada in 2006.
In the early days what is called soccer today was generally known as football. The Manitoba Football Association was the first provincial football association formed in Canada in 1896. It was followed by the Ontario Football Association in 1901, the British Columbia Football Association in 1904, the Saskatchewan Football Association in 1906, the Alberta Football Association in 1909 and the Province of Quebec Football Association in 1911.
They were followed by the formation of the Dominion of Canada Football Association in 1912. The governing body of the game retained that name until it was changed to The Football Association of Canada on June 6, 1952.
The Association later changed its name to the Canadian Soccer Football Association in 1958 and then at last to the Canadian Soccer Association in 1971.
