A significant milestone in Canadian coach education was reached in April with the completion of the first-ever French-language FIFA Coach Educators Development Pathway course. Held from 7 April to 11 April, 2025, at the Soccer Québec Training Center in Laval, this groundbreaking event marked the fourth course of its kind in Canada — and the first delivered entirely in French.
Nearly 20 coach educators participated in the week-long program, hosted by Soccer Québec in collaboration with FIFA and Canada Soccer. This initiative reflects a continued commitment to raising coaching standards across Canada while ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for French-speaking communities.
“We had the privilege of experiencing an exceptional week, rich in learning opportunities, within a professional and high-performance environment. As the Head of Coach Education at Soccer Québec, I am deeply proud to have supported the development of 16 coach developers from across the province, along with 4 master coach developers. This initiative represents a significant milestone in our collective commitment to raising the standards of coach education in the years to come. Together, we are shaping the future of soccer development and coach education,” shared Montserrat Flores, Soccer Québec’s Head of Coach Education.
Building on the success of last year’s all-female cohort — another world first — this course reinforces Canada’s role as a pioneer in inclusive coach education. The course also demonstrates FIFA’s ongoing support for national federations seeking to expand the reach and impact of coaching programs.
“Coaching players and coaching coaches must always be full of inspiration. An environment with constant exchange of knowledge, information, suggestions, opinions, and experiences. Collaborating and reflecting is a must to maximize the development of everyone involved. A fantastic environment to participate in was set throughout the course, I very much enjoyed being a part of it,” shared John Limniatis, former Canadian national team player and course participant.
Also supporting the initiative was Dave Nutt, Canada Soccer’s Director of Development, Jim Loughlin – Manager of Coach Education, Research and Development, Valerio Gazzola – Soccer Québec Technical Director and FIFA Master Coach Developer, and Mauricio Marques – FIFA Instructor.
This French-language edition marks a continued evolution of FIFA’s global development strategy and highlights Canada’s leadership in advancing the professionalization and accessibility of coach education.