Canadian men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch announced a 23-man squad on Tuesday, as preparations continue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with two September friendly matches.
Despite crashing out in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup against Guatemala, Canada raised its FIFA ranking to an all-time high of No. 28 and will face No. 48 Romania on Sept. 5, and No. 31 Wales on Sept. 9, in Europe.
While FC Bayern Munich left back Alphonso Davies, OGC Nice centerback Moïse Bombito and Celtic FC right back Alistair Johnston are unavailable due to injury, each are clear locks for the World Cup squad. With that, the latest selection sees some new names brought in.
“The Gold Cup did not go the way we planned, and the group is eager to get back to work again,” Marsch said. “Romania and Wales are both formidable opponents and playing away from home always presents a challenging opportunity.
“These are the kinds of games that will show us where we stand and where we still need to improve with less than a year until the World Cup.”
