In the CPL, Forge started the season 20 matches undefeated as part of a 24 match unbeaten run in all domestic competitions, both records for a CPL club. The club clinched its spot in the CPL Playoffs on August24. Forge is also competing in the Canadian Championship where it has advanced to the semifinal for the third consecutive year. The Hammers also played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup first round where it faced Liga MX side Monterrey.
Head coach and sporting director Bobby Smyrniotis returned for his seventh season with the club after signing a four-year contract extension in 2023.[10][11]
Preseason
On November21, 2024, CF Montréal declined its 2025 contract option on Forge loanee Matteo Schiavoni, ending his time with the Hammers;[12] Forge later confirmed this in a December roster update.[13] On December 16, Dominic Samuel and Forge together announced that the defender was leaving the club following the expiry of his contract at the end of the year.[14]
Forge drew Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey in round one of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.[27][28] The match was noteworthy due to Monterrey's connection with York United FC, Forge's rival in the 905 Derby.[29] It was set to pit Forge loanee Daniel Parra against his parent club, Monterrey;[29] however, Parra transferred to Atlético Morelia just days before the tie's first leg.[30]
Forge hosted Monterrey in the tie's first leg on February5, looking to secure the club's first ever win in Champions Cup play.[31] In freezing conditions producing slippery turf, Monterrey scored two second half goals while Forge failed to capitalize on their chances, resulting in a 2–0 win for Rayados.[32][33] The Hammers were without Malik Owolabi-Belewu (personal reasons), Béni Badibanga (contract dispute), and Elimane Cissé (injury).[34]
In the return leg a week later in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, Monterrey scored three unanswered goals to take a 3–0 win, eliminating Forge 5–0 on aggregate. Forge's best chance in the match came in the first half when Tristan Borges hit the crossbar, but the Hammers were ultimately unable to score. This was the third time Forge were eliminated in their opening Champions Cup tie.[35][36]
Starting XI for CPL home opener against Cavalry FC on April5.[37]
Forge opened its CPL Shield defence at home against reigning champions Cavalry FC on April5 in a repeat of the 2024 CPL final. Babouli opened the scoring for Forge in the 58th minute and the Hammers survived a late onslaught from Cavalry following a sending off to Zayne Bruno to win 1–0.[38][39]
For the second year in a row, Forge hosted a mid-week school day game. In the May13 contest against Atlético Ottawa, Forge broke the CPL attendance record that had held since hosting the CPL inaugural match by welcoming a crowd of 17,971 in the stands. The match ended in a 2–2 draw.[40]
Forge set a new record for the longest unbeaten run to start a CPL season at 10 matches on June15 when they defeated Vancouver FC 2–0 at Willoughby Community Park.[41] On July18, Forge defeated Pacific FC 2–0 at home to go 15 matches undefeated to begin the CPL season, breaking the CPL record for the longest unbeaten run set by Forge in 2019. This also made Forge 18 matches undefeated in all competitions.[42] By the time the streak ended on August30, Forge had amassed an unbeaten run of 20 CPL matches and 24 matches across all competitions.[43]
CPL playoffs
On August24, Forge became the first club to clinch a spot in the CPL Playoffs.[44]
Canadian Championship
Forge began its Canadian Championship campaign on May7 with an all-CPL match at home in the preliminary round against HFX Wanderers FC.[45] The match came only four days after the two teams played to a scoreless draw in Halifax in league play.[45]Molham Babouli scored a brace and Forge benefitted from a Halifax own goal to defeat the Wanderers 3–1.[46] The win advanced Forge to the quarterfinals and a matchup against CF Montréal.[46]
On May20, Forge hosted MLS side CF Montréal in Hamilton for the first leg of the quarterfinal tie.[47] This was the fifth consecutive year these two teams faced each other in the Canadian Championship, with Forge having eliminated Montreal in the previous year's tournament.[47] After Forge dominated the game's first half but were unable to take a lead, Brian Wright scored in the 78th-minute off of a long pass from Nana Ampomah to lift Forge to a 1–0 win.[48][49] In the second leg on July 9, Borges and Forge captain Kyle Bekker scored three minutes apart in the second half to help Forge secure a 2–2 draw, advancing the Hammers to the tournament semifinals 3–2 on aggregate and eliminating The Impact in the Canadian Championship quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.[50][51]
Forge faced Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the first leg of the semifinals in Hamilton on August13. Nana Ampomah opened the scoring in the ninth minute and later assisted on a Brian Wright goal in the 34th minute as Forge took advantage of a pair of defensive mistakes by the Whitecaps in a 2–2 draw.[52] The return leg will be played in Vancouver on September16.[52][53]
Forge FC made two selections in the 2025 CPL–U Sports Draft on December5, 2024.[69][70] Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster; only those who are signed to a contract will be listed as transfers in.
On January 30, Forge announced WeatherTech Canada as the club's new "front-of-jersey" sponsor.[79]
Forge unveiled its 2025 primary and alternate kits at a supporters event on March19. The kits continue to be produced by Macron for a seventh consecutive season and are sponsored by WeatherTech for the first time.[80][81]
Updated to match(es) played on September 1, 2025. Source: CanPL Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Total number of wins; 3) Head-to-head; 4) Goal differential; 5) Goals for; 6) Away goals differential; 7) Away goals for; 8) Home goals differential; 9) Home goals for; 10) Fewest disciplinary points (Yellow cards count for one point and red cards [direct or accumulation of two yellow cards] count as three points); 11) Most under-21 domestic player minutes; 12) Coin toss (tie between two (2) clubs) or drawing of lots (tie between three (3) or more clubs).[82] (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results by match
Match
1
2
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5
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7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Result
W
W
D
D
D
D
W
D
W
W
W
D
W
D
W
W
W
W
W
W
L
Position
3
1
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
Updated to match(es) played on August 30. Source: #Matches W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Matches
The Canadian Premier League announced each team's home openers on February10.[83] The full regular season schedule was released on February12.[84] Several matches were later rescheduled for broadcasting on TSN in Canada.
Note: Kick-off was rescheduled from 4:00pm.[101][102] Kick-off was delayed half an hour due to a thunderstorm.[103] The match was delayed for almost two hours in the second half due to lightning.[103]
The draw for the preliminary round and quarterfinals was held on December12, 2024.[118] The draw for the semifinals and hosting rights for the single-leg final was held on July9.[119]
Preliminary round
The preliminary round schedule was announced on February18.[120]
The CONCACAF Champions Cup draw was held on December10, 2024, with Forge drawing Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey in round one.[27][28] Having qualified as CPL regular season winners, Forge entered the competition in round one and began play in February 2025.[8]
Round one
The round one schedule was announced on December13, 2024.[126]
↑ The Hamilton Sports Group announced that Tim Hortons Field will be renamed with a new rights partner for 2025.[1] The stadium is temporarily referred to as Hamilton Stadium until a permanent name is determined.[2]
↑ Although Forge originally announced on January3 it had triggered Orlendis Benítez's contract option for the 2025 season,[19] he departed the club and joined Scrosoppi FC on or before April29.[77]
↑ "Pacific vs Forge". FotMob. April 12, 2025. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
1 2 "Pacific FC Schedule Update" (Press release). Langford, BC: Pacific FC. March 29, 2025. Archived from the original on March 29, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
↑ "Forge vs Valour". FotMob. April 19, 2025. Archived from the original on May 23, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2025.
1 2 Gangue-Ruzic, Alexandre (June 23, 2025). "Recap: Valour FC 0-5 Forge FC". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on June 23, 2025. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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