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What’s in the water in Brampton?
That’s the question executive director of the Brampton Soccer Club, Paula Phillips, has been asking herself since the 2026 FIFA World Cup began.
On the men’s team, six players were either born in or grew up in the Greater Toronto Area city, and Phillips says all of them played at Brampton Soccer Club at some point in their youth, either recreationally or competitively.
“This is where they started, this is where that interest got sparked,” she said, holding a jersey covered with player signatures.
That list of six includes Promise David, Liam Millar, Cyle Larin, Jayden Nelson, Tajon Buchanan and Jonathan Osorio.
But the Brampton soccer star power doesn’t stop there – it’s also the hometown of former Team Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson as well as Olympic gold medalists in women’s soccer: Ashley Lawrence and Kadeisha Buchanan.
Phillips says this World Cup in particular has boosted interest in the club, which extended its outdoor league registration by a week to accommodate the surge.
“They hear so much about the players that are playing for their country,” she said. “They think, ‘I want to be that. I want to do that.’”
City infrastructure praised by star player Promise David
On Sunday, some of the team touched down back in Toronto after their loss in the knockout round against Morocco in Houston.
Among them, Brampton’s own Promise David, who was asked what helped him grow as a player in his hometown.
“What allowed me to continue playing football was the infrastructure around football,” he said. “Tournaments, the OFSAA (Ontario Students Federation of School Athletics), the introduction of a new soccer center.”
“I think with this World Cup, the entire nation got to see how special football can be, and millions of kids just found a new love for football.”
WATCH | Promise David gives a shoutout to Ontario’s soccer infrastructure:
The city is home to the Brampton Soccer Centre – which has seven indoor and outdoor multisport fields where local clubs and recreational teams train.
The soccer centre was revitalized in 2020 under Mayor Patrick Brown, incorporating professional-sized turf fields, an indoor dome to support year-round play, new washrooms and changing facilities.
“There’s something special happening here in Brampton with soccer,” Brown said at the unveiling of a new mural inside the soccer centre on Tuesday.
“This recreation centre is one of the many amenities we have in the city that are dedicated to soccer that are helping produce great talent.”
Brown also credits the growth of the sport to strong recreational and competitive leagues that attract top talent and push players to the highest level of excellence.
Hometown heroes inspiring the next generation
Phillips says the Brampton Soccer Club went to every public World Cup watch party in the city to connect with families inspired by Team Canada’s historic run.
“They find out where the players started, and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow, they played U4 too?’ Yep, they played House League,” said Phillips.
“It gives them the aspiration of: this is where I can go.”
Meanwhile, Brown says his own kids are asking for more after-school soccer time.
“Our fields are already jam packed, and I’m sure every parent has the same question from their kids right now. Everyone wants to be the next Cyle Larin, the next Atiba Hutchinson,” he said.
“I guess we’re going to need to invest in even more soccer fields in the years ahead.”
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