Canada's National Soccer Team Makes History by Qualifying for World Cup

Canada’s national soccer team returned home with one goal: Qualify for the World Cup. Even though they took two losses in three matches, a critical win against Jamaica was enough to book their flight to the World Cup, their first appearance since 1986.

One defining factor for Canada and their journey in the qualification round has been their preparation at the club level. This roster has flourished in their domestic leagues but have also gone on to find success in some of the best leagues in the world. Canada is producing talent that has the skillset to represent their nation in competition but each individual has gone on to represent their country in world-class leagues. Each athlete`s individual schedule has helped them prepare for the World Cup schedule as they face fierce competition.

Canada’s squad is a mixture of grizzled veterans and young stars that are flourishing in the sport. Captain Atiba Hutchinson has made 92 appearances for Canada and has been a leader on and off the pitch. The Midfielder is a member of Beşiktaş, winning individual and team awards for both club and international play.

Alphonso Davies has taken Canadian soccer by storm. The young phenom helped but Canada soccer on the map and is regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world. Davies has already won the Champions League with club Bayern Munich and continues to be a staple for club and international competition. Davies is currently dealing with myocarditis and missed Canada’s final qualifying games. He is expected to be healthy for World Cup play, however.

Jonathan David and Cyle Larin are two youngsters that have taken the brass ring for Canada. Both David and Larin have also exceeded in club play but have made their mark for Canada as well. Larin is currently the leading scorer of Canada with 23 goals, while David is not far behind, notching 20 goals of his own.

Other notable players include Jonathan Osorio, Milan Borjan and Alistair Johnston.

Canada’s current roster rounds out like this:

GK – Milan Borjan, Maxime Crépeau, James Pantemis

D – Derek Cornelius, Doneil Henry, Kamal Miller, Steven Vitória, Samuel Adekugbe, Alistair Johnston, Richie Laryea

MF – Stephen Eustáquio, Atiba Hutchinson, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Jonathan Osorio, Samuel Piette, David Wotherspoon

F – Tajon Buchanan, Lucas Cavallini, Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, Cyle Larin, Liam Millar, Iké Ugbo

Head Coach – John Herdman

With Canada punching their ticket to the World Cup, you may be wondering how you can Canada’s soccer team. World Cup action doesn’t begin until November, but Canadians are well aware of their future competitors. Group F will not be an easy task for Canada, but they can turn heads and create international attention with some key upsets.

Canada vs. Belgium – November 23 – Belgium is the favorite to win the Group, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Belgians are one of the top-ranked countries in soccer and should make easy work of Canada. This is a game in which backing Belgium straight up would be the play but with Canada’s timid and defensive tactics, a draw is not out of the question. Still, the firepower of Belgium should be overwhelming. Canada will be tested early as they battle Belgium to open the tournament. Some betting markets for this game could include taking Belgium straight up or to look at Belgium to lead after the first half.

Canada vs. Croatia – November 27 – Taking on Croatia will make or break Canada’s chances at advancing out of Group F. Croatia owns the second-best odds at winning the Group but for Canada to advance, a win against Croatia is a must. With that being said, this is another contest in which a draw may be Canada’s best chance. Croatia’s defense is strong and it will require a valiant effort from the Canadiens to win this contest. Expect this to be a low-scoring contest as both Croatia and Canada sit back and wait for chances.

Canada vs. Morocco – December 1 – With the rise of Canadian soccer, a victory against Morocco is possible. Of Canada’s three matches, this one speaks volumes as this sets the tone for Canada against international competition. Belgium and Croatia may prove to be too difficult but this match is certainly winnable. Morocco has holes that Canada can expose. For this Group F match-up, look at both teams to score and potential over in total goals.

Can Canada win the World Cup?

It’s an exciting time for fans of Canada’s national soccer team. Reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1986, this new generation of Canadian athletes have rejuvenated the program. With that being said, Canada’s qualification for the World Cup should come with reserved expectations. They would be considered long shots to win the world-class tournament.

European countries dominate World Cup betting sites. Canada’s stock in international soccer has risen dramatically but at this current stage, there are too many nations ahead of them that should vie for the crown. As for Canada, they could potentially play spoiler n Group play, but keep expectations low as this program has not played in the World Cup in three decades.

Now that Canada has qualified, being competitive in the Group Stage would do wonders for the program. Reaching the knockout stage is ultimately Canada’s highest expectation for this tournament. Right now, there are too many nations ahead of Canada that should provide stronger difficulty than what they’ve faced in the qualifying rounds. In the future, we could see Canada compete regularly at the World Cup as this crop of stars have helped the nation reach their highest ranking ever in the FIFA Rankings. But for now, 2022 is about proving their worth in international competition.

The road to the World Cup for Canada has been interesting. They dominated the First Round, conceeding just 1 goal in 4 fixtures. The second proved much of the same as Canada walked Haiti to punch their ticket to the Final Round.

After returing home for more qualification action, Canada were able to secure their spot to the World Cup. Take a look below to see how Canada qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1986:

World Cup First Round Qualifiers:

March 25/21 – Canada 5 – 1 Bermuda – W
March 29/21 – Canada 11 – 0 Cayman Islands – W
June 5/21 – Canada 7 – 0 Aruba – W
June 8/21 – Canada 4 – 0 Suriname – W

World Cup Second Round Qualifiers:

June 12/21 – Canada 1 – 0 Haiti (Leg 1) – W
June 15/21 – Canada 4 – 0 Haiti (Leg 2 – Aggregate 4-0) – W

World Cup Final Round Qualifiers:

Sept. 2/21 – Canada 1 – 1 Honduras – D – Larin scores in the 65th minute to tie the game.

Sept. 5/21 – Canada 1 – 1 USA – D – Once again, Larin scores in the 62nd minute, leading to a draw.

Sept. 8/21 – Canada 3 – 0 El Salvador – W – Hutchinson, David score twice in first half to help Canada notch a 3-0 victory.

Oct. 7/21 – Canada 1 – 1 Mexico – D – Osorio helps erase deficit, leading to draw. This would mark Canada’s third match in which they secure a draw after being down.

Oct. 10/21 – Canada 0 – 0 Jamaica – D – Frustrating result as Canada cannot find the back of the net after missing golden opportunities. Still without a loss, Canada is also in search of their first win.

Oct. 13/21 – Canada 4 – 1 Panama – W – After Panama concedes an own goal, Canada would tally 3 markers in the second half to help secure their first win in final round play.

Nov. 12/21 – Canada 1 – 0 Costa Rica – W – Dominating possession 62%-38%, David would score in the 62nd minute to help Canada pick up their second consecutive victory.

Nov 16/21 – Canada 2 – 1 Mexico – W – Cyle Larin plays hero once again. With two goals in less than 10 minutes of gameplay, Larin would help Canada secure their third win in as many matches.

Jan. 27/22 – Canada 2 – 0 Honduras – W – Honduras picks up the majority of chances but an own goal and a 73’ strike from David secures another victory.

Jan. 30/22 – Canada 2 – 0 USA – W – With the Americans chasing down Canada in the standings, they manage to pull away from the group with a 2-0 victory. In front of a sold out Canadian crowd during frigid temperatures, Canada books another victory – their 5th straight win.

Feb. 2/22 – Canada 2 – 0 El Salvador – W – El Salvador puts up a worthy fight but the defense of Canada proves to be unbreakable once again. Canada wins their 6th straight game and now only need 1 point in 3 games to secure a World Cup bid.

March 24/22 – Canada 0 – 1 Costa Rica – L – Back at home, Canada suffers a crushing defeat even though they dominate the contest. This loss means they are still searching for World Cup contention.

March 27/22 – Canada 4 – 0 Jamaica – W – Searching for a victory, Canada opens the scoring ad never looks back. With this victory, Canada officially qualfied for the World Cup!

March 30/22 – Canada 0 – 1 Panama – L – Panama opens the scoring in the 49th minute, producing in the only goal of the game. Canada takes a loss to end World Cup qualifying action.