Miami, Fla – One last chance to watch a Concacaf legend in action comes this Sunday as a 40-year-old Canada midfield player Atiba Hutchinson will play his final international match in the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Final against the United States at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The list of achievements and honors Hutchinson has won over the course of his career is more than impressive.
After helping his country qualify for the first FIFA Men’s World Cup in 36 years in Qatar 2022, Hutchinson became the fourth-oldest player in FIFA history to take part in a match at a Men’s World Cup participated.
In Canadian football, Hutchinson’s name is at the top of numerous lists of all-time leaders.
No player on the Canada men’s national team has more appearances and starts than Hutchinson with 103 and 94 respectively, while Hutchinson also leads the minutes played for Canada with 8,103.
The former Besiktas player also holds the record for most wins by a Canadian men’s player at 43, is the oldest goalscorer at 38, has completed the most World Cup qualifiers (38) and WCQ cycles (6), all tied Julian de Guzman for most Concacaf Gold Cup tournaments with six.
Canada’s head coach addressed Saturday’s pre-game press conference ahead of Sunday’s final John Herdman reflected on what Hutchinson meant to Canada Soccer.
“I think he’s probably the greatest Canadian football player that not many people know. That was probably the reality up until this World Cup and people got to see him for who he really is in that game against Belgium leading his team,” Herdman said.
“He is everything for the team. He is everything for the country. He is everything to the people and the players. All he wants is for this country to do well, and he’s willing to make sacrifices to get it.
“It will be a privilege to spend [Sunday] Night with him, and our gift to him will be to help him get his hands on this silverware. That would be a special moment,” Herdman concluded.
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