It is impossible to illustrate the story of Canadian women’s soccer without mentioning Diana Matheson. The three-time Olympian is woven into the fabric of the game in our nation, so much so that she’s making history even after having stepped off the pitch for the final time.
For her dedication to the sport and the proliferation of the women’s game, Matheson will be inducted into the Canada Games Hall of Honour as an Athlete with the class of 2025. An advocate for gender equity in professional sports, Matheson continues to enhance women’s soccer in many ways since retiring as a player in 2021.
She may currently be most well-known for scoring a monumental goal for Team Canada, but she is still continuing to define her legacy in the sport.
Born in Mississauga and raised in Oakville, Matheson joined Team Ontario at the 2001 Canada Summer Games in her home province, hosted in London, just hours away from where she grew up.
Following her appearance at the Games, Matheson joined the women’s senior national team in 2003 at the age of 18, deferring an offer of admission from Princeton University to join the club.
That same year, she competed in her first of four FIFA Women’s World Cups, propelling Canada to a fourth place finish.
Matheson attended Princeton the following year, and quickly proved that her deferment would not hinder her brilliant performance at the Ivy League institution. The freshman made an immediate impact in her first season, claiming NCAA Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors while helping the Tigers to an NCAA College Cup semifinals.
It was the first glimpse of greatness at the collegiate level for Matheson, who earned four first-team All-Ivy honors throughout her tenure, topping it off with being named Ivy League Player of the Year her senior season in 2007.
After graduating from Princeton, Matheson stepped right back into the international spotlight, making her Olympic debut in 2008 with Team Canada in Beijing. She would have numerous remarkable moments as an impact player for her country at the Olympic Games over her three appearances, the most memorable of all coming in London 2012.
The talented midfielder scored the game-winning goal in the 92nd minute against France to earn Canada the bronze medal.
It was the country's first Olympic medal from a summer team sport in almost 80 years, and also Canada’s first ever Olympic medal in women’s soccer. Matheson would earn another bronze with the team in Rio De Janeiro 2016.
She currently sits third all-time in total games played for the women’s national team with 206 caps, including a national record-setting 45 straight appearances in 2006.
Outside of her accolades dawning the red and white, Matheson enjoyed the entirety of her professional career competing exclusively abroad. This reality led Matheson to cultivate a desire to create a Canadian pro league where players can thrive at home.
That desire became a reality. An idea borne in 2022 by Matheson and business partner Thomas Gilbert finally culminated in April 2025 with the launch of the Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first ever professional women’s soccer league. With six teams across the country, the NSL is founded on the principles of inclusion, community, and identity, stemming from Matheson’s ultimate goal of growing women’s soccer in Canada.
With how extensively Matheson has contributed to the growth of women’s soccer, it’s no wonder the stellar midfielder is also a part of the 2025 Canada Soccer Hall of Fame class.
