The Challenge Trophy that is awarded each year to the national champion of Canada, was originally donated by the Football Association of England in 1926. Prior to that Canada's national champion received another trophy called the Connaught Cup.

The decision to have a competition to determine the national champion of Canada was made on May 24, 1912 in Toronto by the Amateur Athletic Union of Canada. The first Challenge Cup competition was held one year later, in Thunder Bay with Norwood Wanderers from Winnipeg, Lachine from Montreal, Fort William C.P.R. from Northern Ontario and Toronto Old Country from Southern Ontario competing on a league basis.

The league format was replaced in 1915 with a best of three final between the winners of the west and the winners of the east. In 1955 the competition adopted its current format in which each province sends the winners of its own provincial cup to compete in a short playoff tournament held in early Fall in a city in a different province every year.

The Carling Brewery briefly sponsored the tournament in the late 50's which was known during this period as the Carling Trophy. Due to financial problems, competition was suspended completely in 1963 and in 1966 and in 1970 the competition was based on provincial select teams rather than senior clubs. Except for these brief interruptions the format adopted in 1955 has remained unchanged up to the present day.

Winners

1913 Norwood Wanderers of Winnipeg, Mb

1914 Norwood Wanderers of Winnipeg, Mb

1915 Winnipeg Scottish, Mb. defeated Toronto Lancashire 0-0,6-1

1916 {suspended due to the war)

1917 {suspended due to the war)

1918 {suspended due to the war)

1919 Montreal Grand defeated Trunk Winnipeg War Veterans, Mb 2-1,1-0

1920 Hamilton Westingouse defeated Winnipeg Britannia, Mb. 0-0, 2-1

1921 Toronto Scottish defeated Ladysmith (B.C.)

1922 Calgary Hillhursts defeated Toronto Ulster United

1923 Naniamo Wanderers defeated Montreal C.P.R.

1924 United Weston , Mb. defeated Canadian Explosives (Beloeil)

1925 Toronto Ulster defeated United/Naniamo Wanderers

1926 United Weston , Mb. defeated Canadian Collieries (B.C.)

1927 Naniamo Wanderers defeated Fort William legion

1928 New Westminster Royals defeated Montreal C.N.R.

1929 Montreal C.N.R. defeated United Weston , Mb.

1930 New Westminster Royals defeated Montreal C.N.R.

1931 New Westminster Royals defeated Toronto Scottish

1932 Toronto Scottish defeated Vancouver North Shore

1933 Toronto Scottish defeated Prince Alberty City Reds

1934 Verdun Park (Montreal) defeated Prince Albert City Reds

1935 Montreal Aldrods defeated Naniamo Wanderers

1936 New Westminster Royals defeated United Weston , Mb.

1937 Johnston Nationals (B.C.) defeated Toronto Ulster United

1938 Vancouver North Shore defeated Timmins Dome Mines

1939 Vancouver Radials defeated Montreal Carsteel

1940 (play suspended due to war)

1941 (play suspended due to war)

1942 (play suspended due to war)

1943 (play suspended due to war)

1944 (play suspended due to war)

1945 (play suspended due to war)

1946 Toronto Ulster United defeated Fort William Combines

1947 Vancouver St. Andrews defeated Winnipeg Scottish, Mb.

1948 Montreal Carsteel defeated Vancouver St. Andrew's

1949 Vancouver North Shore defeated Hamilton Westinghouse

1950 Vancouver City defeated Winnipeg Scottish, Mb.

1951 Toronto Ulster United defeated Vancouver St. Andrew's

1952 Montreal Stelco defeated New Westminster Royals

1953 New Westminster Royals defeated Montreal Hakoah

1954 A.N.&A.F. Scottish, Winnipeg defeated Vancouver North Shore

1955 New Westminster Royals defeated Montreal Ukraina

1956 Vancouver Halecos defeated Winnipeg Germania, Mb. 5-1

1957 Montreal Ukraina defeated Vancouver North Shore 2-1

1958 New Westminster Royals defeated Winnipeg Scottish, Mb. 2-0

1959 Montreal Alouettes defeated New Westminster Royals 3-2

1960 New Westminster Royals defeated Toronto Golden Mile 4-0.

1961 Montreal Concordia defeated Vancouver Firefighters 1-0

1962 Winnipeg Scottish, Mb. defeated Edmonton Edelweiss 6-0

1963 (no competition)

1964 Vancouver Columbus defeated Sudbury Italian Flyers 4-0

1965 Vancouver Firefighters defeated Oshawa Italians 309

1966 Vancouver Under 23 Allstars British Columbia defeated Quebec 2-0

1967 Ballymena United (Toronto) defeated Calgary Buffalo Kickers 1-0

1968 Toronto Royals defeated Vancouver Columbus 2-1

1969 Vancouver Columbus defeated Montreal Ukraina 10-0

1970 no competition

1971 Vancouver Eintracht defeated Windsor Maple Leafs 3-1

1972 New Westminster Blues defeated Toronto San Fili 3-0

1973 Vancouver Firefighters defeated Toronto West Indies United 2-0

1974 Springer Kickers, Calgary defeated Windsor Italia 2-1

1975 London Boxing Club defeated St. Lawrence Laurentians 3-1

1976 Victoria west defeated Winnipeg Fort Rouge, Mb. 3-2

1977 Vancouver Columbus defeated St. Lawrence Laurentians 1-0

1978 Vancouver Columbus defeated Montreal Elio Blues 3-1

1979 Victoria West defeated La Salle Olympians 6-2

1980 Saint John Drydock defeated Ottawa Maple Leaf Almrausch 3-2

1981 Toronto Ciociaro defeated Calgary Kickers 2-1

1982 Victoria west defeated Saskatoon United 4-0

1983 Vancouver Firefighters defeated Windsor Croatia 2-1

1984 Victoria West defeated Dundas United 1-0

1985 Vancouver Croatia defeated Motreal Elio-Blues 3-0

1986 Hamilton Steelers defeated Vancouver Croatia 1-0

1987 Winnipeg Lucania, Mb. defeated New Westminster Q.P.R. 1-0

1988 St. John's Holy Cross defeated Edmonton Ital-Canadians 2-0

1989 Scarborough Azzuri defeated St. John's Holy Cross 3-2

1990 Vancouver Firefighters defeated Dartmouth United 1-0

1991 Vancouver Norvan ANAF Unit #45 defeated Scarborough Azzuri 3-2

1992 Vancouver Norvan ANAF Unit #45 defeated Edmonton Scottish 1-0

1993 Vancouver Westside Rino defeated Calommiers de Longueil 1-0

1994 Edmonton Ital-Canadians defeated Scarborough Azzuri "A" 1-0

1995 Mistral-Estrie defeated Halifax Kind of Donair 1-0

1996 Westside C.I.B.C. defeated Cosmos de LaSalle 2-1

1997 Edmonton Ital-Canadians defeated North Shore Pegasus 3-1

1998 RDP Condores PQ

1999 Calgary Celtics

2000 Lucania, Winnipeg

2001 Halifax King of Donair

2002 Sons of Italy Lions S.C. , Winnipeg defeated St. Lawrence Laurentians 1-0 OT

2003 Calgary Callies

2004 Surrey Pegasus

2005 Scarborough GS United

2006 Ottawa St. Anthony

2007 Calgary Callies

2008 Calgary Callies

2009 Hellas Winnipeg