CANADA

Canada is a co-host of the 2026 World Cup and is playing only its third World Cup in history (1986, 2022, 2026). At the 2026 tournament, Canada plays in Group B against Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Qatar. Head coach Jesse Marsch (since May 2024, former Leeds and USA manager) leads the team. The star and captain is Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), back after a serious 2024-25 injury. Supporting cast: Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, Derek Cornelius.

At the first World Cup in 1986, Canada didn't score a single goal and lost all three matches it played. After that, the team didn't return to the World Cup for 36 years. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Canada qualified for the first time in a generation, having beaten the USA and Mexico in qualifying. At the tournament: three more losses in a row (to Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco), but the team scored its first two goals in World Cup history — Davies's four-minute goal against Croatia, and Hutchinson against Morocco. Under Marsch in 2024, Canada reached the Copa America semifinal in the USA, losing to Argentina.

As a co-host, Canada qualified automatically. In Group B the main rival is Switzerland. Matches are in Toronto (the opener on June 12) and Vancouver (the other two). Alphonso Davies is the face of the team and a central figure of the tournament; his form will decide whether this becomes Canada's first World Cup win — or a repeat of Qatar.

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