Canada announce 26-man squad for World Cup as Alphonso Davies leads co-hosts

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a] were drawn in Group B and will face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia and Herzegovina[/a] (June 12), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a] (June 18), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a] (June 24). Their first game will be in Toronto, with the latter two to occur in Vancouver.[/p][p]There are several injuries in the team, which includes captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/davies-alphonso/4r3PXV20/"]Alphonso Davies[/a]. The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayern-munich/nVp0wiqd/"]Bayern Munich[/a] man is recovering from a hamstring injury, and is unlikely to feature in Canada's World Cup opener.[/p][p]A 32-man squad was announced earlier on in the week ahead of the country's friendlies against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uzbekistan/EZYKKRMc/"]Uzbekistan[/a] (June 1) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ireland/Gfyqk1aG/"]Republic of Ireland[/a] (June 5).[/p][embed guid="d607c2cd-475c-4252-8164-ca79555ee418" url="https://x.com/CANMNT_Official/status/2058911030420402660?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The squad features 13 players who were part of the 2022 World Cup, exactly half of the team.[/p][p]One of the major questions for the team is who will start in goal. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dayne-st-clair/dKt33vk6/"]Dayne St. Clair[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crepeau-maxime/bTqrxMoS/"]Maxime Crepeau[/a] are still in competition for the number one spot, with Marsch still yet to name the starter.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/johnston-alistair/hzfyT3Cl/"]Alistair Johnston[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kingston-laryea/fsQV0R5h/"]Ritchie Laryea[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sigur-niko/b3dSZO8C/"]Niko Sigur[/a] are the full-backs selected alongside Davies, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sporting-kansas-city/CURGfJWt/"]Sporting Kansas City[/a] man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bassong-zohran/CSKL6HMI/"]Zorhan Bassong[/a] missing out.[/p][p]Opting for five central defenders, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cornelius-derek/Wvb8v5p5/"]Derek Cornelius[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bombito-moise/4dBTEEF3/"]Moise Bombito[/a] are expected to start for the Canadians, despite both players missing much of the season for their domestic clubs. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/knight-lebel-jamie/fo6gJxEq/"]Jamie Knight-Lebel[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbongue-ralph-priso/2ytqG7KO/"]Ralph Priso[/a], both MLS players, were not selected.[/p][p]Vice-captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eustaquio-stephen/Uk00cWLU/"]Stephen Eustaquio[/a] leads the central midfield contingent, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/toronto-fc/zsdfgnmL/"]Toronto FC[/a] captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osorio-jonathan/KtKzNinp/"]Jonathan Osorio[/a] also chosen. Eustaquio, at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lucenec/Uwo2udF4/"]LAFC[/a] on loan from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-porto/S2NmScGp/"]Porto[/a], will likely start alongside Ismael Kone.[/p][embed guid="5c6f1135-0edb-4cee-b723-d904820f2434" url="https://x.com/CANMNT_Official/status/2060509292403253569?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Among the players who were a question as to whether they would make the cut was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shaffelburg-jacob/WYtXt0RH/"]Jacob Shaffelburg[/a], who also returns from injury. He is one of five wingers chosen, which also includes [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/buchanan-tajon/G62SXlFI/"]Tajon Buchanan[/a], Marcelo Flores, Liam Millar, and Ali Ahmed. Millar recently enjoyed promotion to the Premier League with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hull-city/S66R0t75/"]Hull City[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/austin-fc/IeT6JBE3/"]Austin FC[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nelson-jayden/OW5w0zC1/"]Jayden Nelson[/a] was not included.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/david-jonathan/CSvtXj2E/"]Jonathan David[/a] is the main name of the four strikers, with Cyle Larin, Tani Oluwaseyi, and Promise David rounding out the squad. Promise missed much of the second half of the season in Belgium after requiring surgery.[/p][p]There was belief that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/preston/x8IDVcbi/"]Preston North End[/a] man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jebbinson-daniel/0jTEU500/"]Daniel Jebbison[/a] would be picked as well, but in the end, he, along with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-rowe-jacen/dzTXj2Mu/"]Jacen Russell-Rowe[/a] will not feature.[/p][p]Canada will be hoping to claim a result in a World Cup match for the first time, having lost all three group games in 1986 and 2022. [/p][p][b]Squad[/b][/p][p][b]Goalkeepers[/b]: Dayne St. Clair ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-miami/0AheRyBg/"]Inter Miami[/a]), Maxime Crepeau ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/orlando-pirates/p4SF9EMI/"]Orlando SC[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/goodman-owen/GMk9DNpA/"]Owen Goodman[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/barnsley/UNGEKMx6/"]Barnsley[/a])[/p][p][b]Defenders[/b]: Alistair Johnston ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celtic/QFKRRD8M/"]Celtic[/a]), Derek Cornelius ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rangers/8vAWQXNS/"]Rangers[/a]), Ritchie Laryea (Toronto FC), Niko Sigur ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hajduk-split/2w5qgpq0/"]Hajduk Split[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/waterman-joel/0l5tduvR/"]Joel Waterman[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-fire/UwAwNo2E/"]Chicago Fire[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-fougerolles-luc/juAwWhAL/"]Luc De Fougerolles[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dender/xGSLHvNA/"]Dender[/a]), Moise Bombito ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nice/YagoQJpq/"]OGC Nice[/a]), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jones-alfie/S0h2yfZB/"]Alfie Jones[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/middlesbrough/6F0lvLNC/"]Middlesbrough[/a])[/p][p][b]Midfielders[/b]: Stephen Eustaquio ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-fc/txUJt9AR/"]Los Angeles FC[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kone-ismael/MkgjOoBG/"]Ismael Kone[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sassuolo/QDdvI0zl/"]Sassuolo[/a]), Tajon Buchanan ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/villarreal/lUatW5jE/"]Villarreal[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/choiniere-mathieu/hCaK2R0o/"]Mathieu Choiniere[/a] (Los Angeles FC), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ahmed-ali/zP3uNOEs/"]Ali Ahmed[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norwich/Qo6off6p/"]Norwich City[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saliba-nathan/ALAGXH2B/"]Nathan Saliba[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/anderlecht/vslqAKNo/"]Anderlecht[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/millar-liam/fLLzagpo/"]Liam Millar[/a] (Hull City), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flores-marcelo/AVMseDwC/"]Marcelo Flores[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tigres-uanl/Iy4albIC/"]Tigres[/a]), Jacob Shaffelburg (Los Angeles FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC)[/p][p][b]Forwards[/b]: Jonathan David ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juventus[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larin-cyle/vNpXFtuQ/"]Cyle Larin[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tani-oluwaseyi/nLnBWjlN/"]Tani Oluwaseyi[/a] (Villarreal), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/emmanuel-promise/Qq9Rs2nK/"]Promise David[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/royale-union-sg/407h8Ird/"]Union Saint-Gilloise[/a])[/p][p][b]Fixtures[/b][/p][p][b]12 June, 21:00 CET[/b]: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/canada-x4toKORL/?mid=OxkQ8qT6"]Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina[/a] - Toronto Stadium[/p][p][b]18 June, 21:00 CET[/b]: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/canada-x4toKORL/qatar-zqzHL77i/?mid=67vLrBMM"]Canada vs Qatar[/a] - Vancouver Stadium[/p][p][b]24 June, 21:00 CET[/b]: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/canada-x4toKORL/switzerland-rHJ2vy1B/?mid=2wQjwkpp"]Switzerland vs Canada[/a] - Vancouver Stadium[/p]