AFC Toronto looks to prove skeptics wrong at seven-a-side tournament in Florida

By Canadian Press on December 4, 2025.

Despite topping the Northern Super League regular-season standings, it appears AFC Toronto is not getting its due at the World Sevens Football seven-a-side tournament in Florida.

“I had a meeting with the organizers a couple of days ago. They look at us as a bunch of kids from Toronto,” Toronto coach Marko Milanovic said Thursday in an oceanside availability. “We’re complete underdogs in their eyes. We don’t consider ourselves the underdogs here at all. But in their eyes, we’re a complete unknown team, first-year (side), first-year league, youngest team in the tournament.”

“As far as we’re concerned, we came here to win,” he added.

AFC Toronto joins Mexico’s Club América and Tigres Femenil, the NWSL’s Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave, Brazil’s Flamengo, Colombia’s Deportivo Cali and Uruguay’s Nacional with US$5 million in total prize money on the line.

Canadian goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan is on the San Diego squad

The tournament runs Friday through Sunday at Beyond Bancard Field at NSU (Nova Southeastern University) in Davie, Fla., the former training camp home of the Miami Dolphins. The 7,000-capacity stadium is now home to Fort Lauderdale United FC, whose men’s and women’s teams compete in USL League Two and the USL W League, respectively.

AFC Toronto opens Group 1 play Friday against Tigres before facing Flamengo and Kansas City on Saturday. The top two in each group progress to Sunday’s semifinals.

Each game lasts 30 minutes on a pitch about half to two-thirds the size of a normal field. The rules are slightly different, with unlimited rolling substitutions and no offsides. Teams can dress 16 players per game.

It’s the inaugural North American edition of the seven-a-side tournament.

The Bayern Munich women won the inaugural tournament, defeating Manchester United 2-1 in May in Estoril, Portugal. Bayern downed Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 in one semifinal while Manchester United blanked rival Manchester City 2-0 in the other.

Other teams competing were Ajax (the Netherlands), AS Roma (Italy), Benfica (Portugal) and Rosengård (Sweden).

Canadian international Simi Awujo, playing for Manchester United, was named the tournament’s Breakout Player.

The biggest adjustment for players is that the seven-a-side game has no offside.

“It’s quite difficult and a lot different to think about it compared to 11-a-side,” said Toronto defender Sarah Rollins. “But I did do a 7-vs-7 tournament before, so I’m kind of used to it. It’s definitely a lot different tactically.”

Rollins expects Toronto strikers Kaylee Hunter and Esther Okoronkwo to take advantage.

“They’re going to eat up all that grass,” she said with a laugh.

Toronto midfielder Nikki Small is looking forward to the challenge.

“I think playing in small spaces is fun,” she said. “You get to show your creativity.”

The tournament co-founder is U.S.-based philanthropist Jennifer Mackesy, a co-owner of NWSL champion Gotham FC and minority stakeholder in Chelsea Women.

The competition requires clubs to share a portion of their prize money with staff and players, although the actual amount is to be determined by the clubs themselves

Toronto last played in the Nov. 15 Northern Super League final, conceding two goals 14 minutes apart in the second half in a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Rise. Toronto (16-6-3 during the regular season) dispatched the Montreal Roses 6-1 on aggregate in the two-legged semifinal to reach the final at BMO Field.

World Sevens Football will be sharing the soccer spotlight with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami, who meet Saturday in the MLS Cup final, a 20-minute drive away at Chase Stadium.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 4, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press