Soccer leads Canada with 1,000,000 registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year. Ranking of 8 sports, with sourc
This page ranks the sports of Canada by one number that is collected the same way for all of them: Every figure counts people formally registered with the sport’s national governing body in Canada. The bodies publish on different schedules, so the table mixes reporting years from 2022 to 2026, and some publish only a rounded figure. The gaps between the sports are far larger than any single year of change. The figures come from Verschiedene nationale Sportverbaende Kanadas, siehe je Ranglisteneintrag.
Soccer is on top, followed by Ice hockey and Golf. The full table below covers 8 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Canada
The table counts registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable. The reference year is 2025.
| # | Sport | Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year | Governing body |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soccer | 1,000,000 | Canada Soccer |
| 2 | Ice hockey | 615,000 | Hockey Canada |
| 3 | Golf | 381,520 | Golf Canada |
| 4 | Gymnastics | 344,470 | Gymnastics Canada |
| 5 | Figure skating | 209,796 | Skate Canada |
| 6 | Curling | 157,788 | Curling Canada |
| 7 | Karate | 16,000 | Karate Canada |
| 8 | Triathlon | 15,000 | Triathlon Canada |
One caveat applies to every ranking of this kind: someone who plays two sports is counted twice, once in each federation, and sports people mostly do on their own, such as running or hiking, barely show up at all.
Most Played and Most Watched Are Not the Same Sport
Membership and license numbers tell you what people do. Audience figures tell you what they watch, and the two lists rarely have the same sport on top.
| Sport | Figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | 7,550,000 | Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers averaged 7.55 million viewers on Canada’s Sportsnet, the network’s most-watched broadcast in 26 years. |
Is There a National Sport of Canada?
- Ice hockey and lacrosse. By federal law, ice hockey is Canada’s national winter sport and lacrosse is Canada’s national summer sport.
- Ice hockey. In everyday use, ice hockey is the sport most commonly treated as Canada’s de facto national sport, reflected in its registered membership of more than 615,000 players.
Sports That Were Invented in Canada
- Basketball. Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith, who was born in Almonte, Ontario.
- Lacrosse. Lacrosse originated among Indigenous peoples in what is now Canada, long before European contact, and was later declared the country’s national summer sport.
#1 Soccer
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 1,000,000 (Canada Soccer, 2025)
Soccer is the most played organized sport in Canada by registered participants. Canada Soccer, the national governing body founded in 1912, oversees around one million registered players, coaches, referees and administrators through thirteen provincial and territorial member associations.
The sport draws its strength from participation rather than professional attendance. Youth registration outnumbers every other team sport in the country, and the men’s national team qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, its first appearance since 1986, while the women’s team won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Ice hockey
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 615,000 (Hockey Canada, 2025)
- Top national league: National Hockey League (NHL)
- Best known athlete: Connor McDavid. Edmonton Oilers captain and three-time Hart Trophy winner (2017, 2021, 2023) as the NHL’s most valuable player, and the youngest captain in NHL history when named in 2016
Ice hockey is registered by Hockey Canada, whose figures show more than 615,000 players signed up for the 2025-26 season, the fifth consecutive year of growth for the sport in the country.
The National Hockey League is the sport’s top professional competition and includes seven Canadian franchises. Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player three times, in 2017, 2021 and 2023.
Latest Posts about Ice Hockey
#3 Golf
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 381,520 (Golf Canada, 2025)
- Best known athlete: Mike Weir. Became the first Canadian man to win one of professional golf’s four majors, taking the 2003 Masters Tournament
Golf Canada’s 2025 annual report puts total membership at 381,520, a 5 percent increase over the 360,309 members counted in 2024, making golf one of the largest organized sports in Canada by registered participation.
Sarnia-born Mike Weir became the first Canadian man to win a men’s major championship when he captured the 2003 Masters Tournament, a result still cited as the high point of Canadian men’s professional golf.
Latest Posts about Golf
#4 Gymnastics
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 344,470 (Gymnastics Canada, 2024)
- Best known athlete: Ellie Black. Became Canada’s first ever all-around medallist at the artistic gymnastics world championships in 2017 and helped Canada win its first team world championship medal in 2022
Gymnastics Canada’s 2023-24 annual report puts national participation at 344,470 across all provinces and territories, one of the largest participation totals of any sport in the country.
Nova Scotia’s Ellie Black made history at the 2017 FIG World Championships in Montreal by winning silver to become Canada’s first ever all-around medallist at the artistic gymnastics worlds, and later helped Canada win its first team medal at the 2022 worlds.
Latest Posts about Gymnastics
#5 Figure skating
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 209,796 (Skate Canada, 2025)
- Best known athlete: Kaetlyn Osmond. Won Olympic bronze in women’s singles and gold in the team event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, then became Canada’s first women’s singles world figure skating champion in 45 years
Skate Canada’s 2025-26 annual report counts 209,796 registrants and 7,156 coaches nationwide, keeping membership above 200,000 for a second consecutive season.
Newfoundland’s Kaetlyn Osmond won bronze in women’s singles and gold in the team event at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, then became Canada’s first women’s singles world figure skating champion in 45 years later that year.
Latest Posts about Figure Skating
#6 Curling
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 157,788 (Curling Canada, 2022)
- Best known athlete: Brad Gushue. Skipped the Newfoundland rink that won Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s curling at the 2006 Turin Games
Curling Canada supported 157,788 registered members as of a 2022 federal funding announcement, making curling one of the country’s larger organized winter sports by membership.
Newfoundland skip Brad Gushue led the Canadian rink that won Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s curling at the 2006 Turin Games, defeating Finland in the final.
Latest Posts about Curling
#7 Karate
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 16,000 (Karate Canada, 2026)
- Best known athlete: Daniel Gaysinsky. Represented Canada in the men’s plus 75kg kumite event at Tokyo 2020, karate’s Olympic debut, after qualifying through the Paris Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2021
Karate Canada and its 10 provincial and territorial associations report roughly 16,000 participants nationwide.
Daniel Gaysinsky represented Canada in the men’s plus 75kg kumite event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, karate’s debut as an Olympic sport, after qualifying through the Paris Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2021.
Latest Posts about Karate
#8 Triathlon
- Registered members of the national governing body, each in its latest published year: 15,000 (Triathlon Canada, 2026)
- Best known athlete: Simon Whitfield. Became the first ever Olympic champion in men’s triathlon when the sport made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games
Triathlon Canada, founded in 1987, represents over 15,000 athletes, coaches, officials, race directors and volunteers across the country.
Simon Whitfield made history in his Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games, unexpectedly becoming the first ever Olympic champion in men’s triathlon in the sport’s debut at the Games.
Sources
- Hockey Canada, republished by HockeyNL
- Golf Canada, Annual Report 2025
- Gymnastics Canada, Annual Report 2023-24
- Skate Canada, Annual Report 2025-26
- Government of Canada announcement, republished by Newswire
- Karate Canada, About Karate Canada
- Triathlon Canada, About page
- Front Office Sports
- National Sports of Canada Act, S.C. 1994, c. 16, Justice Laws Website
- Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
- Lacrosse Canada, History of Lacrosse
- Hockey Canada, republished by HockeyNL
- Golf Canada, Annual Report 2025
- Gymnastics Canada, Annual Report 2023-24
- Skate Canada, Annual Report 2025-26
- Government of Canada announcement, republished by Newswire
- Karate Canada, About Karate Canada
- Triathlon Canada, About page
Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.
FAQ
What is the most popular sport in Canada?
By registered membership, ice hockey is the largest organized sport in Canada, with Hockey Canada reporting more than 615,000 registered players for the 2025-26 season. Golf follows with 381,520 members in Golf Canada’s 2025 annual report.
What is the national sport of Canada?
Canada has two legally designated national sports under the National Sports of Canada Act of 1994: ice hockey as the national winter sport and lacrosse as the national summer sport.
What sports are popular in Canada?
The largest organized sports in Canada by registered membership include ice hockey (more than 615,000 players for 2025-26), golf (381,520 members in 2025), gymnastics (344,470 in 2023-24) and figure skating (209,796 registrants in 2025-26).
What are famous Canadian sports?
Ice hockey and lacrosse are Canada’s legally recognized national sports. Basketball was also invented by a Canadian, James Naismith, in 1891, and lacrosse has roots among Indigenous peoples in Canada that predate European contact.
What sport is Canada known for?
Canada is most closely associated internationally with ice hockey, its national winter sport under the 1994 National Sports of Canada Act and the country’s largest organized sport by registered membership, at more than 615,000 registered players for 2025-26.
