It’s a homecoming almost three months in the making.
The Canadian men’s team kicks off its latest FIFA international window on Saturday when it hosts Chile in a friendly at Toronto’s BMO Field in the first of three matches it will play in September and October. Les Rouges will also meet Peru on Oct. 3 at Stade Saputo in Montreal before closing things out vs. the United States in St. Paul, Minn., on Oct. 6.
Coach Jesse Marsch’s side has been idle since this summer’s FIFA World Cup, when it made history by winning its first-ever tournament match and advanced to the Round of 16, where it bowed out in a 3-0 loss to Morocco on July 4 in Houston.
Saturday’s game vs. Chile will be the team’s first in Toronto since it opened its World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina — a contest that saw them score at the tournament for the first time in their history.
Here are four interesting storylines to keep in mind ahead of this weekend’s friendly.
Some new debuting players for Canada?
Seventeen players from the World Cup roster made Jesse Marsch’s original 26-man squad for this international window, as sure a sign as any that the Canadian coach isn’t looking to blow the team up and start from scratch.
"The idea for me in general is not to say that this now, all of a sudden, that the World Cup is over and now we're [starting] a whole new cycle. This is a continuation. We're obviously gonna continue to evolve. We're gonna continue to integrate new players just like we have from the beginning,” Marsch said when he announced his squad.
Which fresh faces might see some action this weekend? Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Jeevan Badwal looked to be in line to earn his first cap for Canada as he’s enjoying a successful second MLS season. But the 20-year-old has left the Canadian camp and returned to his pro club with an undisclosed injury
Jovan Ivanišević, a 21-year-old centre-back, received his first national team call-up while playing for FK Sarajevo in Bosnia’s top division. Others looking to earn their first caps are goalkeepers Owen Goodman and James Pantemis, and 18-year-old defender Richard Chukwu.
Marsch could also give opportunities to centre backs Ralph Priso and Jamie Knight-Lebel (three caps apiece), and forwards Daniel Jebbison (seven caps) and Jacen Russell-Rowe, who are both looking to score their first goals for Canada in an “A-level” match.
A very big opportunity for Luc de Fougerolles
Veteran centre back Derek Cornelius was taken to a local hospital after injuring himself during Wednesday’s practice in Toronto. Canada Soccer said Cornelius, who has 48 caps, sustained a "non-contact lower body injury" and that he’ll receive medical care and undergo further assessment at the hospital while it monitors the situation.
Canada Soccer hasn’t issued an update since Wednesday, but the expectation is that he’ll be out for a little while. The Canadian men’s team is already missing fellow central defender Moïse Bombito after recently undergoing surgery on his left tibia — the same injury that limited him to three World Cup appearances totalling 193 minutes.
With both starting centre-backs sidelined, and Alfie Jones and Joel Waterman also ruled out due to injuries, look for 20-year-old Luc de Fougerolles to start against Chile and anchor the back line with a new defensive partner. De Fougerolles, currently on loan at Real Salt Lake from English club Fulham, was a breakout player for Canada at the World Cup, starting alongside Cornelius in all three group-stage matches and more than holding his own for someone so young and inexperienced — he had only 13 caps to his credit ahead of the tournament.
De Fougerolles has also played more minutes at centre back for Canada than any other player since June 1, earning the trust of his teammates in the process. Veteran fullback Richie Laryea said this week: “For me, [de Fougerolles] was probably our best player at the World Cup. He was great for us, and I think this is just another chance for him to take an even bigger role.” Forward Promise David added: “Luc is young, but he’s 35 in his head. … Having him on the back line, everybody’s going to be at peace.”
Larin, David look to carry club form into national team
Forwards Cyle Larin and Jonathan David are off to very strong starts to their campaigns with their respective clubs. Larin is red hot for Southampton, scoring seven goals in the first eight games of the Championship (England’s second division) following his permanent transfer from Spanish outfit Mallorca in June.
David is coming off a disappointing debut 2025-26 season with Juventus in which he scored just eight goals in 47 matches across all competitions. The Italian club loaned him to Atlético Madrid for the 2026-27 campaign, and life in Spain seems to agree with the Canadian thus far — he’s scored three goals and tallied an assist in four appearances, including the winner in a 2-1 win over Real Madrid last weekend.
David (42 goals in 82 games) and Larin (32 goals in 94 games) are the top two all-time scorers for the Canadian men’s team, and they combined for five goals at this summer’s World Cup. Marsch will no doubt be hoping that both players can carry over their stellar club form into the national team.
“The more you do well in your career, the expectation gets higher. For me, and for other guys here, I think that’s a good thing to raise standards in each and every game [and] in training, and to be at the highest level you can. I am motivated all the time to be better, to score more goals, to play at the highest level I can, and as long as I’m playing at the highest level, I can play anywhere in the world,” Larin said this week.
A fond farewell for Junior Hoilett
Saturday’s game marks the end of the line for one of the Canadian men’s team’s most respected servants. Veteran winger Junior Hoilett will play his final game for his country in his hometown, drawing to a close an international career that saw him score 17 goals in 69 appearances since debuting for Canada in 2015.
Hoilett, 36, was part of Canada’s World Cup squad in 2022 in Qatar, but he didn’t make the cut for the World Cup roster this summer and hasn’t played for Canada since March in a friendly against Tunisia.
Currently without a pro club, Hoilett appears to be in the final stages of his career, and Canada Soccer wanted to honour him and his years of national team service by calling him up for this international window, giving him one last chance to play for the national team with a special post-game ceremony on Saturday.
“I remember when I first came [into the national team], and we were struggling to sell out seats. We had away fans [showing] more support than our home fans, and now we're selling out stadiums, and we have a great support system all over the country… It shows how far the country has come, and what we've done to put Canada on the map and get represented and be respected in the field of soccer. So, it's amazing where it's going. We've made history, but there's a lot more barriers to knock down and a lot more history to be made,” Hoilett said.
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.
