Canada – preview and roster

Canada qualified as the for the final four as the top seed comfortably beating Suriname in the quarter finals 1-0 away from home at 3-0 in Canada. They start against Mexico who were ranked while fourth but will have the backing of a raucous support at SoFi Stadium, a support that has so often turbo-charge them to victory in the US.

What to expect

Canada have qualified only once before for the Nations League final four, reaching the finals in 2023 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas having beaten Panama in the semi-final. They lost 2-0 to a rampant USA in the final.

That was a disappointing performance for a team that was widely felt to be brimming with unfulfilled talent on the international stage.

What followed was an unsettled period for the team with disputes with the Canadian federation over wages and conditions for international matches and training camps. A dispute that ultimately helped trigger a number of changes within their FA.

Back on course in terms of stability, and with a new manager at the helm in Jesse Marsch, the team is starting to find shape and form.

In 2024 Canada were hammered 4-0 in a friendly against the Netherlands before drawing 0-0 with World Cup 2022 finalists France. They then went on to the Copa America, staged in the USA, losing to Argentina 2-0 in their opening game, before beating Peru 1-0 and drawing with Chile.

In the quarter final they beat Venezuela on penalties before again losing to Argentina 2-0 in the semi-final. Despite losing to Uruguay on penalties in the third placed play-off, they were the best performing Concacaf nation at the Copa America.

They carried that form into the end of the year friendlies beating the USA 2-1 in Kansas City, drawing with Mexico 0-0 and overcoming Panama at home 2-0. They then followed up comfortably dispatching Suriname to secure their final four slot.

They have proved they can win the big games, but can they do it in the big competitions? In many ways it is now or never for this team as they build towards joint hosting of 2026.

Players to watch

Marsch like his American counterpart, Mauricio Pochettino has not been shy about dipping into MLS for eight of his 23-man squad, however all eyes will be on Alphonso Davies who has been nothing short of spectacular for German Bundesliga league leaders, Bayern Munich.

Joining Davies from Europe will be Jonathan David who has scored a goal every other match since joining Ligue 1 club, Lille, and Stephen Eustaquio from FC Porto in Portugal. For Canada he has hammered in 31 goals in 55 appearances, many of them match winners.

These three players are considered the bedrock of Canada’s ‘Golden Generation’ and have been largely responsible for the resurgence of the Maple Leafs on the world stage.

The manager

Jesse Marsch played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for 14 seasons winning three MLS Cups and four U.S. Open Cups while playing for the Chicago Fire and DC United. He also captained Chivas USA. As an international player he won two caps – he was always considered a reliable, solid player who relished the dirty work.

March’s managerial career has seen him coach in MLS with the Montreal Impact, NY Red Bulls, leading to a move across the pond to remain in the Red Bull family with Salzburg and then RB Leipzig, before a spell in the Premier League with Leeds United. The Canadian national team job is his first in international football.

Marsch favors a high-intensity pressing system that focuses on central overloads, and lightning-quick transitions after winning possession.

Marsch is coming up on a year in the job and in that time his team has adapted well to the way of playing. It is high-octane stuff with risk and reward. Perhaps more than any other manager to date he has managed to get this Canadian team to point of fulfilling their promise, as they progress from a period of internal division over federation pay and training conditions.

Canada Squad