One of the major highlights of Canada’s World Cup tournament was the 2015 Women’s Edition. Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup, in which the neighboring USA became World Champion, proved that Canada is a major soccer nation. A soccer nation that, together with the US and Mexico, will be well-equipped to host the world for the Men’s World Cup in 2026.

Like its fellow host countries, Canada wants to make the best possible use of the 2026 World Cup as a catalyst for soccer in general but also for soccer in its own country. One of the top-level goals is to boost the performance of the national men’s team, as well. So far, Canada’s national football team has qualified for the 1986 World Cup as well as the 2022 World Cup. In 1986, it had to return home early after three matches and zero goals. At the 2022 World Cup Canada did not progress beyond the group stage. Canada will be back in 2026 as a host country, and it can already start planning a vast improvement on their previous performance.

Canada: hosts of World Cup’s Women and Youth

It is well known by now that Canada is particularly sports-minded. Ice hockey and lacrosse are immensely popular in this upcoming host country of the Football World Cup. And with the hosting of the Women’s Football World Cup in 2015, in addition to the FIFA World Cup Under 20 (in 2007) and the FIFA World Cup for players under 19 (in 2002), it is quite clear that Canada is very much soccer-inclined as well. This is also explicitly evident from Canada’s participation in the MLS, the Major League Soccer. Of the 24 participating teams in the world-famous league, three originate from Canada (the remaining MLS clubs originate from the USA): Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Montreal Impact.

Canadian Premier League | future Canadian star players

Since 2019, there has also been a new national soccer league at the highest level, consisting of seven Canadian clubs: the Canadian Premier League. This step is also part of the effort to significantly boost the profile of men’s soccer, as is the development of things like the national infrastructural football landscape to structurally produce more future Canadian star players.

Julian de Guzman is Canada’s most capped player with 89 caps.

The all-time top scorer of the national team is Dwayne De Rosario with 22 goals.