Ice hockey has long been the dominant sport in Canada, with icons such as Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr firmly embedded in the national psyche.
But there are widespread hopes that the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on home soil will thrust football further into the mainstream of the country’s sporting and cultural landscape.
In two World Cups to date, Canada have yet to register a single point, with the Qatar 2022 campaign proving a disappointment. Jesse Marsch’s team believe, though, that they can reach the knockout rounds as they prepare to face Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland in the group stage.
While all eyes will be on superstar Alphonso Davies, Juventus frontman Jonathan David is expected to play a key role in Canada’s quest to shine on the global stage in front of their home fans.
Canada’s all-time leading scorer with 39 goals, David sat down with FIFA to discuss his partnership with Cyle Larin and the identity of the team under Marsch.
Jonathan David: It’s amazing because obviously we had a taste of it in Qatar but to play at home is a whole different feeling. We have been so used to playing in Toronto and Vancouver, having our friends and family there and the whole country behind us… to have that on the biggest stage is going to be amazing.
A big one. From what I’ve seen with the national team until now, the progression has been massive. The engagement from the fans and from people you meet in the street that are recognising you more and more and are talking about the World Cup just shows that everyone is excited for what’s to come.
Our team is about speed and power. We have a lot of guys who are fast and powerful and we know our qualities. So I think that’s what makes us so strong… that we don’t try to be what we are not. We’ve grown a lot [since Jesse Marsch arrived], we know our identity, how we are as a team and I think that’s going to help us a lot.
We’ve been playing together for maybe four years and we know each other pretty well. With time we get that connection even better, we understand how each other plays without speaking to each other. I think that’s what makes us tick so well.
He’s our captain, one of the best players… maybe the best left-back in the world. So to have him on our team and with us brings just more fear into the opponents and fuels us even more to know that we have a player like this with us.
I want this World Cup to change soccer in Canada forever, to make it maybe the No1 sport in the country.
