The North American underdogs are hoping to score points in their first World Cup appearance in 36 years.
Previous appearances at the World Cup: 1986
Titles: 0
Best finish: Group stage (1986)
World Cup records: W0 D0 L3
Goals: 0
Biggest win: No win
Player to watch: Alphonse Davies
Ranking: 41
Layouts: Belgium (November 23), Croatia (November 27), Morocco (December 1)
Canada’s participation in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will mark the end of 36 years in the desert.
The team are expected to struggle to emerge from a tough group that includes Croatia and Belgium, but a strong qualifying campaign has raised hopes they could still pull off a surprise or two and reach the knockout stage straight for the first time.
Canada has only participated in one World Cup, the 1986 tournament in Mexico. Their historic appearance was marred by three group stage defeats against France, Hungary and the then Soviet Union.
Participation in the 1986 competition marked the high point of Canadian football that will remain unmatched for several decades until now.
But it also proved a harrowing experience for the players, with the team unable to score a single goal and conceding five in 270 minutes of action.
They were one of only two teams in the tournament not to score a single point, alongside Iraq, who enjoyed a greater goal difference than the Canadians.
Canada will be hoping to regain their qualifying form when they begin their World Cup adventure on November 23 against Belgium.
The team topped the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Football (CONCACAF) qualifying group, winning eight of their 14 games and recording upset victories over the United States and Mexico , higher ranked.
All eyes on Davies
Canadians will look to the prodigiously talented 22-year-old Alphonso Davies for inspiration in Qatar.
Typically deployed as a left-back for his club, German giants Bayern Munich, Davies is renowned for his blistering pace, dribbling and shooting skills.
For Canada, he often plays further forward, allowing him to occupy spaces behind prolific leader Jonathan David and giving him greater opportunity to dictate attacks.
Already widely regarded as the best player in the CONCACAF group of countries, Davies will now have the opportunity to showcase his talent on the world stage.
His career to date has been decorated with a string of trophies, including four Bundesliga titles, multiple domestic cups, a UEFA Champions League winner’s medal and a FIFA Club World Cup triumph.
hard road ahead
Despite the excitement building around Davies and David, also 22, the Canadians are unlikely to drop out of Group F given the quality of Croatia and Belgium.
But manager John Herman has called his players to savor the experience of playing in the tournament and urged them to push their limits against players like Croatian star Luka Modric and Belgium’s array of world-class performers.
He said the team had an opportunity to create “generational change” in Canada – where football has often been crowded out by ice hockey and other more popular sports – and to “create memories that will last for always” for the 38 million inhabitants of the country.
While progress is unlikely, a competitive performance in the group stage would still herald significant progress for Canadian football as the country prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, alongside the United States and Mexico.
For Davies and David, this year’s tournament will provide a platform from which they can potentially launch their already well-established careers to even greater heights.
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