Canada aim for historic first World Cup win on home soil in 2026

Canada will make their third appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2026 as co-hosts alongside the United States and Mexico, with the national team hoping to secure its first-ever victory at football’s biggest tournament.

Drawn in Group B, Canada will face Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland during the group stage of the expanded 48-team competition.

Under head coach Jesse Marsch, the Canadians are aiming to build on the experience gained at Qatar 2022 and push beyond the group stage for the first time in the country’s history.

Marsch, a former Major League Soccer player and experienced coach in both North America and Europe, took charge of Canada in May 2025. His coaching career has included spells with Montreal Impact, New York Red Bulls, Salzburg, RB Leipzig and Leeds United.

Canada qualified automatically for the 2026 tournament as one of the three host nations. The upcoming edition will be the largest World Cup ever staged, featuring 48 teams.

Canada’s previous World Cup appearances came in Mexico in 1986 and Qatar in 2022. In both tournaments, the team exited at the group stage.

At Mexico 1986, Canada suffered defeats to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union in their first taste of World Cup football.

More than three decades later, Canada returned to the tournament in Qatar after topping the final round of Concacaf qualifying. Despite impressive performances, the team lost to Belgium, Croatia and Morocco and again failed to advance.

One of the defining moments in Canadian football history came during the match against Croatia at Qatar 2022, when Alphonso Davies scored the country’s first-ever World Cup goal with a powerful header just minutes into the game.

Davies remains Canada’s only World Cup goalscorer to date and is expected to play a leading role in the team’s 2026 campaign.

Canada’s overall World Cup record stands at six matches played, six defeats, two goals scored and 12 conceded. The team will now look to take advantage of home support and a talented squad as they seek a historic first win on football’s biggest stage.