Canada captain Alphonso Davies will be available for Thursday's 2026 World Cup match against Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver after missing Canada's opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, coach Jesse Marsch said.
ESPN, citing the Associated Press, reported that Davies had been limited during an open practice earlier in the week and was still in return-to-play protocol. Marsch said Wednesday evening that the left back had trained during the week and would be available against Qatar, with Canada still deciding how to use him.
Davies Returns To Canada's World Cup Picture
Davies missed Canada's first Group B match, a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday in Toronto. Cyle Larin came off the bench to score Canada's equalizer in the 78th minute, leaving the co-hosts with one point from their opener.
The injury context is layered. ESPN reported that Davies hurt his hamstring last month while playing for Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals. He also has not played for Canada since March 2025, when he tore an ACL in the CONCACAF Nations League finals.
That makes the Qatar match a possible first national-team appearance in more than a year, not just a routine availability update. Davies has 15 goals in 58 international appearances, and Canada have had to start their home World Cup without their captain on the field.
Qatar Match Carries Group B Weight
ESPN's World Cup scoreboard lists Qatar at Canada for June 18 at 22:00 UTC, with BC Place in Vancouver as the venue. The event is marked as a scheduled FIFA World Cup Group B match.
Qatar also drew their opener, 1-1 against Switzerland on Saturday in Santa Clara, California. ESPN reported that Boualem Khoukhi scored in stoppage time for Qatar's first World Cup point.
All four teams in Group B had one point entering the second set of matches, according to ESPN's article. Marsch's decision is therefore not only whether Davies is fit enough to appear, but how much risk and workload Canada want to take on in a group that has started level.