World Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: Canada

This will be Canada’s third World Cup appearance, and their second in succession following qualification for Qatar 2022. They are still, however, waiting for their first win at the tournament.

Across their two previous appearances, Canada were eliminated in the group stages, losing all six matches they played. Their first objective in 2026, then, will be to break that unwanted record and earn Canada’s first-ever points at football’s biggest tournament.

They have no intention of stopping there, though. Canada’s goal is to reach the knockout stage, and history has shown that host nations are often capable of exceeding expectations. Beyond home advantage, their group opponents - Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia & Herzegovina - are far from daunting, so a place in the top two of Group B is well within their reach.

Canada are coached by Jesse Marsch, who was appointed in 2024 and became the first American manager in the history of the Canadian national team. Since taking charge, Marsch has overseen several notable achievements, most significantly that run to semi-finals of the Copa America, where Canada’s campaign was ended only by eventual champions Argentina.

Marsch began his coaching career in the United States before moving to Europe in 2019 to take charge of Red Bull Salzburg. He later had a brief spell at another Red Bull club, RB Leipzig, before moving to the Premier League with Leeds United. His time in England ended with his dismissal in March 2023.

With Canada, Marsch has implemented a clear identity built around pressing, intensity and vertical attacking play - all hallmarks of his previous teams. Tactically, he has largely favoured a 4-4-2 system with a strong emphasis on transitions. A home World Cup now represents the ultimate test of his project.

By some distance, Canada’s most accomplished footballer is Alphonso Davies. The Bayern Munich star was long regarded as one of the most promising full-backs in world football after bursting onto the scene as a teenager. However, recurring injury problems have hampered several of his recent seasons, particularly the most recent one.

Davies suffered a torn ACL towards the end of the 2024–25 campaign and remained sidelined until January. And although he gradually worked his way back into the Bayern reckoning, he has suffered some notable setbacks, and will likely miss at least one of Canada's group games.

Nevertheless, when he is fit, Marsch will build much of his team around Davies. Even if he is not at 100 percent, Davies’ athleticism, pace and overall quality are attributes Canada simply cannot afford to leave out.

Unlike at Bayern, Davies will play further forward for his country, most likely off the left of midfield. At 25, he will be doing everything he can to ensure this tournament does not pass him by.

One of the breakout stars of this past Serie A season, Ismael Kone will be hoping to carry the form he has shown for Sassuolo into the World Cup.

Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Kone moved to Montreal with his family at the age of seven. Having emerged at CF Montreal, he then spent time at Watford before joining Marseille in 2024. Kone’s time in France did not go to plan, however, but he has been able to rebuild his confidence under Fabio Grosso, to the point that AC Milan and Inter have both been linked with moves for the 23-year-old midfielder this summer.

For Canada, Marsch increasingly views Kone as one of the first names on his teamsheet and a cornerstone of the country’s footballing future.