PREVIEW: CanMNT looking to take pole position in Group B as they get set for Qatar clash in Vancouver

Now that the excitement from their World Cup opener has worn off, the CanMNT are looking to get down to business as their tournament shifts from Toronto to Vancouver. 

After a solid first game against Bosnia & Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium last Friday, where they did well to pick up their first-ever point at the men’s World Cup, Canada will now look to find their first-ever win as they get set to take on Qatar at BC Place Vancouver on Thursday. 

A matchup that they’re favoured to win, this game could be decisive when it comes to Canada’s fate at this tournament. 

Should they win, they’d not only be all but guaranteed to advance to the knockout stage, but they’d also be in an excellent position to win the group heading into the last matchday, after Qatar shockingly drew Switzerland in their opening game. If Canada loses, however, they’d head into their last match against Switzerland needing a big result to secure qualification, which is less than ideal. 

“The group is open; we know that everybody's on even points, and an even goal differential,” CanMNT full-back Niko Sigur said this week. “I think going into this Qatar game, a win does us very good, and that's what we're looking to do.”

Because of that, this feels like a pivotal moment for this Canadian team, one that could determine how this home World Cup goes for them. Based on what they showed against Bosnia, they look ready to rise to the occasion, but as that match also showed, you can still play well in any given game and not get the result you feel you deserve. 

“It’s something that we can celebrate getting the point, because we've never done it,” Sigur continued. “But at the same time, we have very high expectations for this team.”

Against a Qatar side that proved against Switzerland that they won’t be the pushovers that many expected them to be when drawn in this group, Canada could be ripe for an upset if they’re unable to put in a top performance, complementing what they did well against Bosnia with more ruthlessness in both boxes. 

“We're not too concerned,” CanMNT winger Ali Ahmed said this week. “I think we have the confidence and belief that we're going to score. The goals are coming, the goals will come. We're creating good chances, and we have quality strikers up top.”

Speaking of what they did against Bosnia, however, it’ll be fascinating to see how Canada adjusts from that opening game, especially in terms of the lineup they put out. 

For example, could Cyle Larin and Ali Ahmed start after bright cameos off the bench? Will Luc De Fougerolles and Alistair Johnston be rested after earning yellow cards? Could Canada make some tactical tweaks to adjust their lineup to Qatar’s strengths and weaknesses? 

With six days between games and a relatively easy travel schedule, Canada won’t need to worry about fatigue or anything else of the sort, as would be typical of a tournament like this, so they won’t need to make any changes if they don’t want to, at the very least. 

Of course, the biggest thing to watch out for from a Canadian lineup perspective? Whether or not Alphonso Davies features in this game, as he was the lone Canadian player who was unavailable to play against Bosnia & Herzegovina. 

His availability for this game has remained purposely opaque, so it might not be known whether or not he plays until the game itself, but there’s no doubt that it’d be a big boost for Canada if they can get any sort of minutes out of their captain, even if it’s a handful off the bench (although there is next to no chance he starts, anyways). 

Given the pressure that Canada will be under to win this game, they’d ideally like to have a strong squad available to them - now, it’ll be seen whether or not that squad will include Davies in it. 

“I think if we're at our best, and we're all together, including guys off the bench and the starters, that we can give them a lot of trouble,” Sigur noted. 

CanMNT Player to Watch: 

Jonathan David

The pressure will be on Jonathan David in this one, as he gets set for his fifth World Cup game, having still not found the net in his previous four matches. 

Given that he enters this game with just two goals in his last 10 Canada games (both coming from the penalty spot) and just one goal in his last 15 games for club Juventus, he’ll have already been itching to find the net, but that he is still also looking for that first World Cup will add just another layer of motivation to the internal pressure he’ll have. 

Jesse Marsch on Jonathan David: "He's not done scoring people, okay? So get ready, just put your seat belts on and get ready."#CanMNT

— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) June 18, 2026

Of course, as is often the case for a team with a slumping striker, Canada will also need to do what they can to support David. He can’t score goals if he’s not given the service to do so, and Canada hasn’t always provided him the opportunities he needs to be dangerous. 

Against Bosnia, though, he had his chances, so if he ends up being similarly wasteful against Qatar, Canada won’t be shy in turning to other options. That they only subbed him out after 60 minutes in that Bosnia game, when he typically goes 90 in most matches, shows that his margin for error is a lot lower for him now. 

At the same time, Canada won’t drop him from the starting XI, either, as they know how important he can be to this team when on his game - they’ll be hoping that he can rediscover his top form in time for this game, given how key he is to this team’s attack.

Matchup to Watch: 

Ismaël Koné vs. Qatar’s midfield

After starting the tournament on the right foot, earning the Player of the Match trophy for his performance against Bosnia, Canada will be hoping for another big performance from Ismaël Koné against Qatar. 

Given that Qatar is likely to sit back and clog up the middle of the pitch, it’s going to be tough for Canada to find space in those central areas - but that’s also where Koné could shine. 

With his ability to navigate tight spaces on the ball and to play line-breaking passes, he has the skills to break open a tight game, and he showed that against Bosnia. He might not have finished that game with a goal or an assist, but he helped fashion several dangerous Canadian attacks and had his fingerprints all over Canada’s goal. 

Can he do that again, while maybe chipping in with a goal or an assist? If he does, Canada’s odds of winning will increase significantly.

Canada will win this game if…

They can create overloads in wide areas

In their first match, Qatar struggled to defend Switzerland in wide areas, as they got overwhelmed by the constant overloads that their opponents created in that game. 

Luckily for Qatar, they weren’t punished for that due to Switzerland’s haphazard finishing, but that doesn’t change the fact that it exposed a potential weakness for other teams to exploit. 

For a Canadian team that has weapons in wide areas, they’re set up to do some damage there, so look for them to use that to their advantage (and for it to potentially affect who they choose to start this game). 

If they can find the right balance out wide, they’ll be able to create chances, which will significantly improve their chances of winning, especially if they can find their finishing boots. 

Canada will lose this game if…

They don’t put the game away early

Quite frankly, Switzerland should’ve won their matchup against Qatar, but they were made to pay for their lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. Eventually, that caught up to them, as they allowed Qatar to stick around and nab a late equalizer. 

Because of that, Canada will want to avoid making a similar mistake in this game. The longer they let Qatar hang around, the more the belief will swell in their group, and that’s a dangerous game to play. 

Therefore, the mission won’t just be for Canada to get an early goal and play from the front (as they failed to do against Bosnia), but to take a decisive lead within the first 60 minutes of the game. 

If not, things will get nervy at the end, especially among Canadian fans, which could open the door for some late drama. 

That’s the flipside of playing at home from a Canadian perspective - while the home crowd will absolutely give them a boost, it’ll be up to Canada to give the fans something to cheer about and to not let any sentiment of nervousness or doubt creep into them. That’s the tightrope that host nations must straddle. 

Projected XIs: 

Canada: Crépeau; Sigur, De Fougerolles, Cornelius, Laryea; Koné, Eustáquio; Ahmed, Buchanan; J. David, Oluwaseyi (4-2-2-2)

Qatar: Abunada; Al Oui, Miguel, Khoukhi, Elamin; Fathi, Madibo, Laye; Junior, Abdurisag, Afif (4-3-3)

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