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![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4425213_web1_260724-soccer-funding-0015.jpg\")
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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
H\u00e9ctor Vergara, Manitoba Soccer Association executive director, said the funding represents an investment in healthy communities.<\/p>\n
While there has been no official announcement, it\u2019s presumed the team will play at the complex, which currently seats about 2,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s not enough capacity presently, but there is potential to expand the capacity,\u201d Mayor Scott Gillingham said at the time. \u201cCertainly, there is an idea that there is a way to expand the capacity that would accommodate our Northern Super League team.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex has hosted many competitions and matches at the local, national and international level, including the 2015 FIFA Women\u2019s World Cup. And while it\u2019s been an avid facility in the competitive leagues, it also has been a sanctuary for players of all ages and backgrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis complex is about much more than memorable events and championship matches,\u201d H\u00e9ctor Vergara, executive director of the Manitoba Soccer Association, said. \u201cEvery year, thousands of children, youth and adult come here to learn, compete, stay active, build friendships and simply enjoy the game they love\u2026 [it\u2019s] the sense of belonging that soccer creates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cantafio, who died earlier this year, immigrated from Italy in the 1950s. Despite the barriers he faced, he was able to communicate with others through another dialect: soccer. He believed in the future of the sport in Winnipeg and what it could be \u2014 kick starting professional soccer in the city. The Winnipeg Fury \u2014 founded in 1987 \u2014 was a professional team in the Canadian Soccer League which won the CSL championship in 1992.<\/p>\n
His son Raff took to the podium, tearfully sharing what it means to have his father\u2019s contributions recognized.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Raff Cantafio wipes away a tear after speaking during an announcement Friday that the province will be investing $750,000 to support upgrades to the Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex.<\/p>\n \u201cSoccer was his love and it was a huge part of his identity, but it was also his way of reaching people,\u201d he said. \u201cHe created community, he nurtured friendships, he bridged languages and backgrounds, he brought people together. Inspired them to believe in themselves and showed us how sport can help us become better people.\u201d<\/p>\n Many supporters of the game gathered at the complex to celebrate the future of the sport, including multiple generations of Cantafios. The funds will help continue Ralph\u2019s desire to support amateur and professional players.<\/p>\n \u201cRalph Cantafio showed us what\u2019s possible when passion, community and sport come together,\u201d Sport Minister Nellie Kennedy said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s up to all of us to carry that legacy forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Vergara said the funding will have wide-reaching impacts.<\/p>\n \u201cThis commitment represents far more than funding for a facility. It is an investment in healthy communities, in youth, in volunteers, [and] in the future of sport across Manitoba,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n With a room full of soccer fans and players, the conference ended the way Ralph would\u2019ve wanted \u2014 people shuffling out to the field with a ball in hand, ready to play.<\/p>\n
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