Soccer that shaped a nation. Exhibits that changed the course of history. For the first time abroad – an unprecedented project with over 200 exhibits telling the world about Ukrainian soccer, its formation, development, and contribution to Ukraine's fight during the war.

From June 5th to June 10th (from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM) at Trident Centre in Toronto, the exhibition "Ukrainian Soccer: The Game Continues" will take place. The exhibition is organized by the Ukrainian Association of Football within the Canadian Shield tournament where Ukraine's national team will play. Among the exhibits are unique artifacts that have never left Ukraine and were not displayed together before.

"We will bring to Canada a part of the soul of Ukrainian soccer. For the first time in history, we managed to gather unique artifacts from different collections to show the world how soccer reflects our struggle, memory, and unity. This is an appreciation for those who have supported the national team across the ocean over the years, and at the same time – a powerful cultural message. We want people outside of Ukraine to see how soccer became not just a game but part of our nation's DNA – and how it continues even during wartime," — Andriy Shevchenko, President of the UAF, commented on the event.

"In June in Toronto, there will be a real celebration of Ukrainian soccer. The game of the national team and the opening of the first-ever international exhibition of soccer artifacts. This is not just unique events. This is confirmation of the special friendship between Ukraine and Canada, the contribution of the Ukrainian diaspora to the development of both countries. The opening of the exposition is especially important now that a significant number of Ukrainians have arrived in Canada, fleeing the war. Through soccer, we preserve their connection with Ukraine, as well as tell Canadians about the need for continued support for Ukraine's fight," — Oleg Nikolchenko, General Consul of Ukraine in Toronto, noted.

What awaits visitors:

This is the first large-scale project about our soccer that brings together over 200 artifacts from different eras. Among them, for example:

— all jerseys of Ukraine's national team from its first match in 1992 to today;

— original coaching notes by legendary Dynamo Kyiv and Ukrainian national team coach Valeriy Lobanovskyi;

— official European trophies of Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk;

— exhibits from the participation of Ukraine's national team in Euro and World Cup tournaments, including the jersey in which Andriy Rusol scored the first goal for blue-and-yellow in these tournaments at the 2006 World Cup;

— the winning cup of Euro-2009 (U-19), held in Donetsk and Mariupol, which was won by Ukraine's youth team, as well as awards for other Ukrainian youth and junior teams.

In addition, a special zone will be dedicated to soccer during the full-scale invasion. In this section – stories of players, coaches, and fans who went to defend their homeland, bright facts about support from the global soccer community, as well as documentation of Russian crimes.

The project was organized by the Ukrainian Association of Football in cooperation with the Ukrainian National Federation of Canada — Toronto branch, as well as the General Consulate of Ukraine in Toronto.

Location: Trident Banquet & Conference Centre (145 Evans Ave, Toronto). Admission is free.