Canada is gearing up to take on Qatar in their second match of the 2026 men’s FIFA World Cup as both countries battle it out in hopes of their first-ever tournament victory.
The match is also the first the Canadian team is playing in BC Place in Vancouver and the second being held in the stadium.
Canada recorded a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, its first recorded point in a men’s FIFA World Cup tournament. Qatar also recorded a 1-1 draw against Switzerland on June 13.
All four countries have one point in Group B, which is currently set to be one of the most tightly contested at the World Cup.
In order to advance from Group B, Canada has to finish in the top two in its group to automatically advance to the knockout stages. The third-place team can also advance if it finishes among the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups. This path depends on points, goal difference and the results in other groups. Canada’s matchup against Switzerland on June 24 is expected to be the group decider.
Canada and Qatar have faced each other once before, with Canada securing the 2-0 win in a friendly played in Austria in September 2022, thanks to a pair of goals from Cyle Larin and Jonathan David. The win is Canada’s only one recorded against any of its Group B opponents.
What can Canada improve upon?
Canada had nine corner kicks in the first half of its opening game, the most by any team before halftime in a FIFA World Cup match, but failed to convert on any of those opportunities.
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“I’m disappointed with the first half,” Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch said following the match. “I just felt we were tentative. We didn’t play as aggressively as I would have liked.”
Canada also recorded 61 per cent possession against Bosnia and Herzegovina, its highest share of possession in a FIFA World Cup match.
In addition, throughout its seven World Cup matches played, Canada has given up the opening goal six times, with last Friday’s draw being the only instance in which it found an equalizing strike, which came from Larin in the 79th minute.
“For me, there are some set-piece things we can do better, for sure, but for me, it is the mentality and the bravery,” Marsch continued.
“We want to make sure the team is equipped from the start for all of these matches to understand the plan, the set-piece plan, and the opponent, and what their plan might be, but in the end, to really go after the game, and represent what we wanted to be.
“We did that in the second half, and not in the first half, and that was the difference for us on the day.”
Marsch also has a decision to make regarding what to do about his captain, Alphonso Davies, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury but has not completely ruled out playing in the tournament.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET Thursday.
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