Canada co-hosts the 2026 World Cup, kicking off their tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina tonight in Toronto. However, captain and star player Alphonso Davies will not be on the pitch. Despite a glitzy opening ceremony featuring Alanis Morissette and Michael Buble, Canada aims for a winning start after losing all six previous World Cup matches. The starting XI includes Juventus striker Jonathan David, but Davies, widely regarded as Canada's best player in years, is only on the bench and will not play.
Injury Update
Davies suffered a hamstring injury during Bayern Munich's Champions League semi-final against PSG in May. While he has returned to training, head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed pre-game that he is not fit enough to face Bosnia. Marsch stated, 'We did an MRI with him [on Wednesday]. It showed very positive signs that he’s healing incredibly well, almost completely.' He added, 'We’re getting ready to ramp things up. I think that he’s showing, like he always has, a real good ability to recover from muscle injuries. Having his private physio here has been very helpful.'
Canada's Group Stage
Canada is in Group B alongside Qatar and Switzerland. Davies' injury record has been poor; he has featured in only two of Canada's last 21 matches. The team hopes he can contribute later in the tournament.
