The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway in North America. It will also mark the first time in Canada’s history that it will host World Cup matches on its home soil. The Canadian national team comes in with a favorable chance to go far in Group B.
As a result, the city of Toronto is going all out with a big city-wide celebration of the occasion, per Devin Heroux of the CBC.
Throngs of fans took to the streets in their nation’s colors in anticipation of the first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium.
The scenes in Toronto as Canada gets set to host the first-ever Men's World Cup game on their home soil
(via @Devin_Heroux)pic.twitter.com/yBl0GrKvxL
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Despite Canada looking good on paper, as the favorites in Group B, they don’t have certain players on the roster. Their star player, Alphonso Davies, is out with an ACL injury. Midfielder Marcelo Flores is also out with an ACL injury.
Meanwhile, wing players Jacob Shaffelburg & Ali Ahmed are each battling hamstring injuries. Midfielder Ismaël Koné missed a practice in the lead-up to the tournament due to illness. Center-back Moïse Bombito broke his leg last fall, but remains on the roster.
Nevertheless, Canada’s head coach has 20-year-old Luc de Fougerolles waiting in the wings to fill in if necessary.
The Canadian men’s national team is now competing in its third World Cup. They made their debut in 1986 in Mexico. In 2022, they qualified for their first World Cup in 36 years in Qatar, but went 0-3 in Group F.
Canada will host 13 matches during this year’s tournament. Seven matches will be played in Vancouver and six in Toronto.
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