Diamond Valley physician Dr. Noel Grisdale will represent Canada at the World Medical Football Championships (WMFC) in Dublin, Ireland, from July 5 to 12.
This marks Dr. Grisdale’s seventh time representing Team Canada Medical Football on the world stage. He has been a team member since its formation in 2016, when Canada first participated in the WMFC in Barcelona, Spain.
“Every time I’ve represented Canada, it’s been a thrill,” said Grisdale, who practices emergency medicine at Oilfields General Hospital and family medicine at Foothills Family Medical Centre. “This year we’re sending the strongest group yet — two men’s teams and two women’s teams.”
This year is especially significant as Dr. Grisdale will compete on Canada’s newly-formed over-45 men’s team in the seven-a-side division.
“It’s the first time I’ll suit up in the over-45 category,” he said. “It’s exciting and humbling to keep playing at this level with such a talented and committed group of physicians.”
Dr. Grisdale’s passion for the game spans nearly five decades. He began playing soccer at age six while living in Singapore and has played almost every year since, missing just one season in 50 years.
He’s won two Challenge Cup Canadian National Championships (1999 and 2003) and a Western Canadian over-35 title (2008). Today, he plays with two over-35 teams in Calgary, maintaining his fitness to keep up with “the young guys.”
The WMFC is an annual event that brings together physician-athletes from more than 25 countries to compete in a high-level football tournament while attending the 29th International Symposium on Medicine and Health in Sport, an international academic forum focused on global health, injury prevention, sports medicine and physician wellness.
Held this year at University College Dublin, the event includes six games over seven days for 11-a-side teams, and separate competitions for over-45 and women’s divisions. In addition to the demanding match schedule, the week includes lectures, research presentations and networking among medical professionals from around the world.
“Soccer has given me so much — fitness, friendships, focus. Representing Canada while sharing ideas with physicians from around the world is a privilege,” said Dr. Grisdale.
Canada’s delegation in 2025 is its largest yet, a sign of the country’s growing presence in international medical sport and the community of physician-athletes it continues to build.
