It’s getting very real for the Canadian men’s team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Coach Jesse Marsch officially unveiled his World Cup squad on Friday night, revealing the 26 players who’ll be looking to guide the men’s team to its first victory and first trip to the knockout round in its third tournament appearance.
Canada kicks off its World Cup campaign on June 12 when it plays Bosnia and Herzegovina in its Group B opener in Toronto, before the scene shifts to Vancouver for matches vs. Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 25.
“We've had a pretty good idea of who our core group is for a while," Marsch said. "The real X-factor in all these decisions was just trying to determine a month ago, two weeks ago, a week ago, last night, which players are going to be healthy, and who can we project to be really ready to be close to 100 per cent and in the form of their life going into this tournament. So, luckily, we're on track with a lot of guys.
“Will everyone be 100 per cent for the Bosnia match? No, that won't be the case, but we will have a really strong core that will be ready for that match, and we believe we can get stronger as the tournament goes on."
Who are the players charged with carrying Canada’s hopes this summer? Here's a position-by-position breakdown of Marsch’s World Cup team.
GOALKEEPERS
Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City SC), Owen Goodman (Crystal Palace) and Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami)
Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair are regarded among the best shot stoppers in MLS – even though they’ve both looked less than stellar for their respective clubs this season – and have largely split time in goal for Canada since last summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup.
While St. Clair was voted the MLS goalkeeper of the year for 2025 and has had more success at the club level, Crépeau is Canada’s most experienced goalkeeper, and he played a starring role in Canada’s semifinal run at the 2024 Copa América.
It’s still a very tight race between the two goalkeepers as Jesse Marsch hasn’t declared who’ll be his World Cup starter. The expectation is that both will play one half each of Canada’s friendly vs. Uzbekistan on June 1 in Edmonton before Marsch picks one to start in the team’s final World Cup tuneup match against Ireland on June 5 in Montreal. Whoever gets the gloves for that match will probably be the World Cup starter.
Unless both St. Clair and Crépeau get injured, third-stringer Owen Goodman, who has yet to earn his first cap, will be glued to the bench during the World Cup.
Missed the cut: James Pantemis (Portland Timbers)
DEFENDERS
Moïse Bombito (OGC Nice), Derek Cornelius (Olympique de Marseille), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham), Alistair Johnston (Celtic FC), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Niko Sigur (Hadjuk Split) and Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire)
A big concern for Canada is the general health and durability of the defence, and just who, exactly, will start in the back line. In an ideal world, the centre back pair of Derek Cornelius and Moïse Bombito will anchor a back four that also includes captain Alphonso Davies and fellow fullback Alistair Johnston.
But all four have missed substantial time for both club and country over the past year due to injuries, and Johnston is the only one who has recently returned to action for his pro team. A series of lower-body injuries derailed Davies’ 2025-26 season with Bayern Munich, and his previous appearance for Canada was on March 23, 2025. Jesse Marsch previously said he doesn’t expect Davies to be fit for Canada’s opening World Cup contest on June 12.
Defensive depth pieces Alfie Jones, Luc De Fougerolles and Richie Laryea have also missed time due to injuries in the months ahead of the World Cup. Laryea is the only one amongst the injured group of defenders to have played for Canada in 2026, and Davies’ absence could lead to the Toronto FC speedster starting at left fullback in the World Cup opener vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is also the possibility of Laryea being used as a wingback if Davies is fit enough to start at left fullback.
The hope is that Bombito and Cornelius will be fully fit and renew their solid partnership in the middle of the back line as Canada’s defensive anchors. If one of them is injured, look for Marsch to move Johnston from right fullback into the middle, or use either Jones or de Fougerolles. MLS centre back Joel Waterman is down at the bottom of the depth chart, but could be called upon if needed. Youngster Niko Sigur is a talented prospect who can play on the right side of the defence, as well as a stopper in central midfield, and could see plenty of minutes off the bench at the World Cup.
Missed the cut: Zorhan Bassong (Sporting Kansas City), Ralph Priso (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jamie Knight-Lebel (Bristol City FC) and Kamal Miller (Portland Timbers)
MIDFIELDERS
Ali Ahmed (Norwich City), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal CF), Mathieu Choinière (LAFC), Stephen Eustáquio (FC Porto), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Ismaël Koné (U.S. Sassuolo Calcio), Liam Millar (Hull City FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Nathan Saliba (R.S.C. Anderlecht) and Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC).
This is a Canadian team that looks to try to control the game via the midfield duo of Stephen Eustáquio, a key member of the 2022 World Cup team, and Ismaël Koné, who is coming off a great debut season in Italy’s Serie A. Both are key cogs in the central midfield and are absolutely vital to Canada’s chances for success at the World Cup.
Eustáquio is a classy organizer and creator who can control the flow of the game with his steady possession skills. He’s also a set-piece threat who can create dangerous scoring chances for teammates with his excellent passing range. Koné is a two-way midfielder who also offers a touch of class on the ball and runs himself ragged in covering a lot of ground.
Tajon Buchanan and Ali Ahmed are among Canada’s most dynamic attackers, offering quickness on the dribble and technical ability on the ball while operating out wide. Other dangerous wingers include Liam Millar and Jacob Shaffelburg, as well as Marcelo Flores, who can also play in the middle and impressed while earning his first two caps for Canada in March.
Toronto FC captain Jonathan Osorio is the team’s most experienced player with 89 caps, and will most likely be used off the bench, as will youngster and fellow central midfielder Nathan Saliba, who is known for his line-breaking dribbling skills. Mathieu Choinière is a versatile depth piece for Canada who can play either in central midfield or out on the right wing and has a real eye for splitting defences with pinpoint through balls.
Missed the cut: Jayden Nelson (Austin FC) and Junior Hoilett (Swindon Town)
FORWARDS
Jonathan David (Juventus), Promise David (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Cyle Larin (RCD Mallorca), and Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal CF).
With 39 goals in 75 games, Jonathan David is the Canadian men’s team’s all-time leading scorer, but the 26-year-old is coming off a lacklustre debut season with Italian outfit Juventus (just six goals in Serie A). Nevertheless, David will likely start every game for Canada at the World Cup and serve as the main reference point in attack, whether operating as a traditional striker or dropping deeper into a false 9 role.
Who’ll serve as David’s partner up front is one of the more interesting questions surrounding this team ahead of the World Cup. Cyle Larin ranks second in all-time scoring for the men’s side with 30 goals in 88 games, and he’s been in a rich vein of form since joining English club Southampton on loan in February. If Jesse Marsch wants an experienced player to partner with David, then he’ll go with Larin. But Larin doesn’t have a goal in his last 12 appearances for Canada, a streak that dates back to Oct. 15, 2024.
Other options are Promise David, a bull-in-a-China-shop forward who bullies opposing defenders with his strength and size, or the more direct Tani Oluwaseyi, who can get in behind defences with his speed but isn’t the most clinical of finishers. Promise David was considered the leading candidate to start next to Jonathan David before he suffered a hip injury for Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise in February. That’s the last time he played, and he only recently returned to full training.
Missed the cut: Daniel Jebbison (Bournemouth), Jacen Russell-Rowe (Toulouse FC) and Theo Bair (Auxerre).
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.
