Canada are not a familiar sight at the FIFA World Cup, failing to qualify for the tournament on several occasions in the country’s history.
But they qualified for Qatar 2022 after surpassing CONCACAF qualifiers and were full of optimism heading into the tournament.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for Canada at the 2022 World Cup as they were the second team officially excluded from the group stage.
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How many times has Canada qualified for the World Cup?
Canada will only be playing their second FIFA World Cup in Qatar, having only qualified for the final once before.
The Reds went to the 1986 World Cup after winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship, which at the time acted as a World Cup qualifier for the North American confederation. They beat Honduras and Costa Rica in the final round table, helped by the fact that Mexico did not participate, having already qualified for the World Cup directly as hosts that year.
Canada did not perform well in this tournament, however, losing three times in the group stage.
Canada’s World Cup record
Canada have never picked up a single World Cup point or scored a single World Cup goal, having gone home empty-handed after their only appearance at the World Cup in 1986.
They faced an intimidating group of France, Hungary and the Soviet Union, conceding five goals in three games and failing to find the back of the net.
The loss to France was particularly tough, holding the European powerhouse to a scoreless draw until Jean-Pierre Papin scored a winner in the 79th minute.
| Year | Host | Qualified through | Stage reached |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Mexico | 1985 CONCACAF Championship title | Group stage |
| 2022 | Qatar | 1st place, WCQ CONCACAF 2022 | Group stage |
Canada World Cup matches
| Date | Host | Arrange | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 1, 1986 | Mexico | Group stage | Canada 0-1 France |
| June 6, 1986 | Mexico | Group stage | Hungary 2-0 Canada |
| June 9, 1986 | Mexico | Group stage | Soviet Union 2-0 Canada |
| November 23, 2022 | Qatar | Group stage | Belgium 1-0 Canada |
| November 27, 2022 | Qatar | Group stage | Croatia 4-1 Canada |
| December 1, 2022 | Qatar | Group stage | Canada 1-2 Morocco |
Has Canada ever won the World Cup?
Canada have never won the FIFA World Cup, eliminated in the group stage of their only previous World Cup appearance.
Only eight nations across the globe have ever hoisted the World Cup trophy, with Brazil holding the most World Cup titles at five.
Of those eight countries to win a World Cup title, none are North American. The only North American nations to reach the knockout stage of a modern finals format are Mexico and the United States.
Has Canada ever hosted the World Cup?
Canada has never hosted a FIFA Men’s World Cup to date, but will do so in 2026 when the United States, Mexico and Canada are expected to jointly host the tournament.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to expand to 48 teams, increasing attendance from the current 32-team format.
As is tradition for the World Cup, Canada will automatically qualify for the 2026 tournament as hosts, alongside the United States and Mexico.
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