It’s getting very real for the Canadian men’s team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Canada Soccer recently unveiled its official World Cup jerseys, renovations to BMO Field and BC Place continue, and the men’s side is now less than 80 days away from playing its opening match of the tournament.
There are also some important games on the horizon for Canada, including friendlies vs. Iceland (March 28) and Tunisia (March 31) in Toronto in the penultimate international window before the World Cup. The Canadians’ final World Cup tune-up matches are scheduled for June 1 in Edmonton vs. Uzbekistan and June 5 in Montreal vs. Ireland.
Here are some key storylines to watch for from Canada during this month’s games.
The goalkeeping situation
The battle between Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair continues on as coach Jesse Marsch hasn’t officially settled on who’ll be Canada’s starting goalkeeper at the World Cup.
Marsch has gone back and forth between the two shot stoppers for over a year, giving them both chances to play during international windows. That’ll be the case again this month as both are expected to start one game apiece.
Crépeau, 31, is three years older than St. Clair, and has more international experience (29 caps vs. 18). On the other hand, St. Clair was last season’s MLS goalkeeper of the year with Minnesota United.
Funny enough, both goalkeepers made moves in the off-season — Crépeau left the Portland Timbers to join Orlando City, while St. Clair is now with Inter Miami. Not so funny is that both have struggled at their new clubs early on in the 2026 MLS campaign. According to fotmob.com, Crépeau boasts the worst goals conceded per 90 minutes (3.5) in MLS, while St. Clair has the fifth-worst save record (55.6 percent).
It’s unlikely that Marsch will come to a definitive decision on who’ll be No. 1 this summer based on this month’s games, but St. Clair or Crépeau would do their respective cases no harm with a strong showing.
“I’m preparing to be the starter at the World Cup, and I’m sure Max is doing the same thing,” St. Clair said this week.
Cyle Larin back in form for club, but can he do it for Canada?
It is generally understood that Jonathan David, Canada’s all-time top scorer with 37 goals in 73 appearances, will serve as the team’s go-to forward at the World Cup and main reference point in the attack.
Who will partner with David up front hasn’t yet been decided by Marsch and has been the subject of passionate debates among Canadian fans and media members.
Tani Oluwaseyi looked to be in pole position late last year before Promise David emerged as the top contender. But David suffered a ruptured hip tendon last month that could rule him out of the World Cup
As a result, the door has swung wide open for Cyle Larin. Despite being Canada’s second all-time leading scorer (30 goals in 87 games), Larin has struggled the past few seasons at club level, bouncing between RCD Mallorca and Feyenoord with little success. He’s also failed to score in 11 straight games for Canada, his last goal coming on Oct. 15, 2024.
But Larin has been in fine form since his loan move to English side Southampton in January, scoring four goals and adding an assist in 11 games. A strong showing for Canada in these two games by the burly forward could put him back in contention for a starting role at the World Cup.
“Larin’s move to Southampton is exactly what he needed. You can see like now already, his confidence, his rhythm, his fitness, his power, everything, like, he looks really good, so we are really excited,” Marsch said.
Defensive depth will be put to the test
Defenders Alistair Johnston and Moïse Bombito have been named to this latest Canadian squad but only as training players as they regain fitness from long-term injuries.
Missing from this latest roster due to injuries are fullback Alphonso Davies, and defenders Alfie Jones, Zorhan Bassong and Jamie Knight-Lebel. Young centre back Luc de Fougerolles is in camp but is dealing with an ankle injury. His participation in these games is questionable.
Derek Cornelius is with the team after recently returning from injury, which means Canada only has one regular starting centre back available to play against Iceland and Tunisia. Needless to say, the team’s defensive depth will be tested.
As a result, Ralph Priso of the Vancouver Whitecaps has a great opportunity to bolster his chances of earning a spot on Canada’s World Cup roster. The 23-year-old was converted from a midfielder to a centre back last season by Vancouver and he’s taken to playing a new position like a duck to water.
Marsch took notice of this and called Priso into camp in January and gave him a start against Guatemala and could turn to him again this month to play substantial minutes in these two games.
“He’s smart and he’s got an ease to the way he does things that he can transition into that position pretty smoothly. When I watch him carefully, I can see that he’s still trying to figure out some moments, like where the perfect positioning is. But overall, I think his intelligence has guided him in a good way,” Marsch said.
Marcelo Flores set to make his debut for Canada
After a long, laborious process, winger Marcelo Flores is expected to earn his first cap for Canada after finally having his one-time international switch approved by FIFA in February.
Flores, a 22-year-old born in Georgetown, Ont., is a dual national (he’s been capped for Mexico) who plays for Tigres UANL in Liga MX, the Mexican first division. Flores was eligible to switch allegiances under the current regulations because his three appearances for Mexico’s senior team came before he turned 21.
Marsch courted Flores, including visiting him in Mexico and called him up for last November’s international window even though he wasn’t yet eligible to play for Canada. Marsch felt it was important for Flores to be in camp with the team so he could envision what it would be like for him to be a member of the Canadian team.
Now that he’s available to play for Canada, Marsch is expected to give the wily winger plenty of playing time over these next two games, giving him every chance to earn a spot on the World Cup roster.
The Canadians could certainly benefit from a player of Flores’ profile: He’s a dynamic attacker who likes to take on defenders, has great energy and is very dangerous on the dribble.
A big month for Ismaël Koné
With Stephen Eustáquio unavailable for this window due to injury, fellow midfielder Ismaël Koné has an opportunity to reassert himself as a key figure for Canada going into the World Cup.
The 23-year-old has started in six of Canada’s last seven games, scoring in last November’s 2-0 win over Venezuela in Florida. At the same time, Koné’s club career has been revitalized at US Sassuolo Calcio after he failed to impress in stints with French clubs Olympique Marseille and Stade Rennais FC. The 23-year-old has five goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this season and looks to have recaptured his best form while playing in Italy.
“I think Ismaël now is an established player, and in the two years that I’ve been here, he’s now understood more what higher levels look like, and how to be more reliable and disciplined. And I think he’s been outstanding at Sassuolo, and not just with the ball, but his defensive responsibilities, his intensity that he plays with is at a different level,” Marsch said.
Koné will be suspended for the Iceland game stemming from a red card he picked up vs. Venezuela, but he will see action against Tunisia.
“We will definitely play him against Tunisia, and we expect him to be a cornerstone of what we do this summer as well,” Marsch offered.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 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.
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