The Part That Changes The Math
Canada's improvement in international soccer over the last decade has been unmistakable. Whether that translates into World Cup success is another matter.
With coach Jesse Marsch leading the team this summer, the Canadians are set to embark on their third-ever World Cup as co-hosts with the United States and Mexico. Ranked No. 30 in the world, Canada has scored only one World Cup goal in its history and has never won a match at the tournament.
The list looks clean on paper; the hard part is everything that happens after it is printed.
The outlook has improved with a more experienced player pool that includes Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan, Cyle Larin and Jonathan David, who have all broken into prominent European teams in recent years.
"This is a team that is very fast and powerful and talented," Marsch said. "Every moment that this team plays on the pitch they give everything they have."
Canada was blanked in all three of its matches at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. The team returned 36 years later, reaching the tournament in Qatar after finishing ahead of Mexico and the United States in the CONCACAF qualifying standings.
The Detail Worth Keeping
In Qatar, Davies scored the nation's first World Cup goal in a 4-1 loss to Croatia. The Canadians again failed to emerge from the group stage.
Marsch took over in 2024 and Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue described it as the "most important time in the domestic history of our sport."
Canada went 6-1-5 last year and this year has played to a 2-2 draw with Iceland and a 0-0 tie with Tunisia. The team has two more friendlies before the World Cup, against Uzbekistan and Ireland, in early June.
The World Cup opens on June 11. Canada is in Group B with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.
The Canadians will play their first match in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which qualified after beating four-time champion Italy in a shootout.
Where It Goes From Here
Davies, who plays for Bayern Munich, is the captain. Jonathan David is with Italian club Juventus, Cyle Larin is with English team Southampton, and Buchanan plays in Spain for Villarreal.
If Canada finishes atop its group, the team will remain in Vancouver for the knockout rounds.
"We can't just turn the switch on June 11," Marsch said. "This whole last year has been a process of maximizing exactly what we want to be."