It was a “life-changing experience” that lasted 36 years.
Led by head coach John Herdman, Canada’s men’s World Cup drought ended in November.
Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first-ever goal in the men’s tournament against Croatia, but the 41st-ranked Canadians were knocked out in the group stage and failed to get the desired result in Qatar.
“We were written off quite early in 2018,” Herdman told Andi Petrillo, in his first interview since returning from the men’s football showcase. “Galvanizing the group around a clear vision with the goal of having a time when our country could come together and connect was what got us through the times when you had to go knocking on doors for funds. additional … or just those unforgettable moments.”
Herdman, of Consett, England, identified two “unforgettable moments” in Canada’s World Cup qualifying campaign: Davies’ scoring goal in a win over Panama, the frozen tundra of “Iceteca” ( aka Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium), as well as beating Jamaica in Toronto to clinch a historic World Cup berth.
Canada dominated the final round of qualifying in the CONCACAF region after an unprecedented run of unbeaten streak, but suffered defeats against second-placed Belgium, two World Cup semi-finalists Croatia and Morocco, number 22. The Atlas Lions made history on Saturday as the first African nation to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup after a 1-0 victory over Portugal.
WATCH the 1v1 with Canadian men’s coach John Herdman after the World Cup:
Host Andi Petrillo is joined by Canada Men’s National Team Head Coach John Herdman as he reflects on Canada Soccer’s performance in Qatar.
“We needed more games against this type of opponent,” said the 47-year-old, thinking back to Canada’s run at the World Cup. “A mistake [can] result in real punishment. I think we needed to feel some of that punishment before we got into the World Cup, and we didn’t.
“It’s just part of a big learning that our organization will take into account as we prepare for this upcoming World Cup.”
Before Canada’s World Cup opener against Belgium, it had been more than a decade since the men had faced a FIFA World Rankings top-10 team.
WATCH | Soccer North: A look back at Canada’s performance at the Men’s World Cup:
Host Andi Petrillo is joined by special guests to break down Canada’s Men’s National Team performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar
“We have to play against big nations – big games and feel what it’s like to be under pressure from these quality players,” added Herdman.
The Americans were the only CONCACAF nation to advance to the knockout stages this year, leaving the region with the worst performance of any confederation.
Canada will co-host the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico in an expanded 48-team tournament. The three World Cup host countries are also expected to receive an invitation to the 2024 Copa America, South America’s premier showpiece event.
“We have laid the foundations for 2026”
“It was really interesting to see that this game against Belgium really put us on people’s radars,” Herdman proclaimed. “As I told everyone listening at the time, ‘we had to qualify in 2022.’ We needed to raise the profile so that we could get better games in the world, so that we could raise the profile of our players to ensure that more of them could get access to Tier 1 leagues. And secondly , to generate the kind of revenue that is needed to build the high performance system to put more quality around the team.
“I mean, that’s the beauty of 2022 for any criticism or any negativity that has come out of this World Cup – we’ve laid the groundwork for 2026. The next quadrennial is about really pushing hard to get the players who are on the bubble, on the double passport.
“We gave them a reason to believe that Canada can compete now and that we are a footballing nation.”
WATCH | Diana Matheson reveals the new Canadian women’s professional league planned for 2025:
Two-time Olympic medalist Diana Matheson announces that she is launching a Canadian women’s professional soccer league that will begin in the spring of 2025.
Herdman, who coached Canada’s national women’s team from 2011 to 2018 – winning Olympic bronze medals in 2012 and 2016 – also credited the efforts of Diana Matheson and Christine Sinclair, who announced plans Monday to launch a national league Women’s Professional in 2025, featuring eight teams across Canada.
“Amazing. Absolutely amazing. [Diana’s] spirit really drove this process,” Herdman said. “She wanted this to happen. She knew it and we talked about it many moons ago. Bringing Christine Sinclair on board was a huge key because at the end of the day you know this country will do anything for Christine and there are a lot of people out there who will make sure Christine’s legacy and the legacy of this group of women is coming to fruition.”
The league, which has yet to be named, is set to kick off in April 2025 with a first crowned champion in the fall. Each team will have at least one Canadian international and the goal is to bring home about half of the more than 100 Canadians currently playing abroad.
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