CONCACAF sanctions Canada's Jesse Marsch for 'unacceptable conduct,' manager will be suspended for two matches at 2025 Gold Cup

CONCACAF sanctioned Canada manager Jesse Marsch for multiple incidents that occurred during the third-place game of the 2025 Nations League, the federation announced Thursday.

After a disciplinary case was opened, CONCACAF reviewed documentation and evidence and, based on competition regulations and their disciplinary code, levied a one-game suspension on Marsch for "unacceptable conduct towards the match officials and for delaying the restart of the match by refusing to leave the field of play."

The one-match suspension will be added to the single-game suspension he was already set to serve as a result of being sent off during the match after receiving a straight red card on the touchline.

“The Disciplinary Committee has also warned the Canadian Soccer Association and Mr. Marsch that more severe sanctions could be taken should incidents occur during future matches,” a CONCACAF said in a statement.

Marsch was sent off in what would eventually be a 2-1 win over the USMNT after he stepped onto the pitch to complain about what he believed was a missed penalty call by referee Katia Itzel. The Canada manager was eventually restrained by a member of the officiating team over the matter.

“If I had to do it again, I would,” Marsch told The Athletic the morning after his red card. The Les Rouges manager said his team was "p*ssed off" at calls against them.

“It’s not like I went into the game thinking, ‘OK, I’m going to get thrown out.’ But I was definitely looking for opportunities to make a point, right?” Marsch added.

After the match, striker Jonathan David said he slipped on the second contested penalty that Marsch had questioned.

“If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have run on the pitch or over into the other box on (the second possible missed penalty call). I would have done it on the other one before,” Marsch said. “But actually, the fourth official said to me when I was starting to escalate, ‘No, we all reviewed your what happened to you against Mexico and we’re aware of it and we’re going to look at this carefully.’

"And so I was like, ‘OK, they’re going to at least go to VAR,’ and then they don’t go to VAR. And then honestly, I was cursing myself. I should have freaking run over there, I should have forced a reaction.”

Canada defeated the U.S. in the third-place game 2-1, with David scoring the eventual winner in the 60th minute.

Canada take on both Ukraine and the Ivory Coast in June in a pair of international friendlies. Marsch will be able to manage both matches that serve as tune-ups for the Gold Cup.