On September 26th, 2023, when Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team (CANWNT) took on Jamaica to clinch their spot in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 200 young soccer players attended an exclusive pre-match experience where they took part in a panel with CANWNT legends Carmelina Moscato and Rhian Wilkinson. Participants were given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when they were taken into the players entrance tunnel where they welcomed the team to the stadium, before taking their seats at field level in a section reserved exclusively for them. This is one of many events to come as part of the Visa Play and Stay program.
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Canada Soccer Partnership
Visa is proud to be the exclusive payment services sponsor of Canada Soccer, supporting both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams as well as Canada Soccer’s development programs and the sport of soccer in Canada from the grassroots to the elite levels
This partnership complements Visa’s commitment to the sport of soccer globally, including but not limited to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Visa will partner with Canada Soccer to curate an array of benefits and initiatives, including but limited to: exclusive ticket pre-sale access for Visa cardholders to National Team home games, custom marketing programs to drive business for Visa’s clients, and support for the development and growth of the Women’s game both at the development and elite levels.
Inspiring a new generation of players: Visa Play and Stay
As part of Visa’s long history of investing in and supporting the growth of the women’s game, Visa introduced the Visa Play and Stay program in 2023. In collaboration with Canada Soccer, the program’s objective is to encourage young girls aged to stay involved and engaged in the sport of soccer. Despite the positive progress that has been made to level the playing field, gender disparity in sports persists. Girls aged 11-16 are two times more likely to drop out of sports than boys at this age¹ and even though girls report significant mental and physical benefits from sport participation, only half of teenage girls are active in sport². As it pertains to soccer, the gender gap in the sport’s participation is a significant challenge and the percentage of girls in youth soccer has declined from 39% pre-pandemic to 36% as of 2024.
The Visa Play and Stay program was introduced in 2023. Since its inception, it has created opportunities for hundreds of young girls to connect with current and former National Team players, showcasing the various pathways that exist in the sport, both on and off the pitch. The program has also shined a light on various community organizations across the country which are leaders in the development of girls’ and women’s soccer. See below for a glimpse into the unique experiences we have created for girls in soccer across the country, and the various organizations we are proud to highlight as part of this program.
An Event to Remember: CANWNT Paris 2024 Qualifying Game
1 Canadian Women & Sport, She Belongs Report, 2020
2 Canadian Women & Sport, Rally Report, 2022