Alphonso Davies, Cyle Larin, and Jonathan David will lead Canada at their first World Cup in more than 35 years.
Qualification Summary
CONCACAF First Round - Group B
- 1st place (12 points)
- 4 matches (4 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses)
- 27 goals, 1 conceded (+26 goal difference)
- 1st leg: 1-0 away win
- 2nd leg: 3-0 home win
- 4 goals, 0 conceded (+4 goal difference)
CONCACAF Third Round
- 1st place (28 points)
- 14 matches (8 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses)
- 23 goals, 7 conceded (+16 goal difference)
Overall
- 20 matches (14 wins, 4 draw, 2 losses)
- 54 goals, 8 conceded (+46 goal difference)
- Jonathan David (9)
- Cyle Larin (8)
- Alphonso Davies (5)
- Luca Cavallini (5)
Meet the Manager
John Herdman will lead Canada at the World Cup. The English-born manager was in charge of the Canadian women's team for 8 years, guiding them to bronze medals at the Olympics in both 2012 and 2016. He took over the men's team in 2018, and has overseen their rise from 72nd to 43rd in the FIFA rankings. Canada peaked as high as 33rd under Herdman, the highest ranking in the nation's history.
World Cup History
Qatar 2022 will be just the second appearance for Canada at the World Cup. Their only previous appearance was in Mexico 1986, where they lost all three group stage games and went home without scoring a goal. They will look to improve that record in 2022 before acting as co-hosts for the 2026 edition.
Key Players
Alphonso Davies - midfielder/left back, 22 - Bayern Munich (Germany) - 34 caps, 12 goals
Jonathan David - forward, 22 - Lille (France) - 34 caps, 22 goals
Cyle Larin - forward, 27 - Club Brugge (Belgium) - 54 caps, 25 goals
Stephen Eustaquio - midfielder, 25 - Porto (Portugal) - 26 caps, 3 goals
Atiba Hutchinson - midfielder, 39 - Besiktas (Turkey) - 97 caps, 9 goals
Steven Vitoria - center back, 35 - Chaves (Portugal) - 34 caps, 3 goals
Milan Borjan - goalkeeper, 35 - Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) - 67 caps, 0 goals
Tajon Buchanon - winger, 23 - Club Brugge (Belgium) - 25 caps, 4 goals
Junior Hoilett - winger/midfielder, 32 - Reading (England) - 49 caps, 14 goals
Tactical Preview
Canada has used quite a few formations under Herdman, including a 4-3-3 and 4-4-2, but will likely play with a back 3 in Qatar. A 3-5-2 gives them the opportunity to have an extra body in midfield and partner Jonathan David with Cyle Larin up top. However, a 3-4-3, allows them to make use of Alphonso Davies and Tajon Buchanon's speed on the wings.
Herdman's sides are tactically flexible and could change formations mid game. They are adaptable enough to sit deep against strong opposition, yet aggressive enough to press high when necessary. Alistair Johnston will likely feature as the right sided center back in a back three, but can easily slot over as the right back in a back four if needed. Laryea and Kaye are both extremely versatile, as is star man Alphonso Davies. Tajon Buchanon has been used as a foward, a winger on both flanks, and as a wing back at times.
Davies is the key man for Canada, and is their most creative player. In their 3-5-2 he typically operates as the left wingback, giving him more freedom to adventure forward than he would have as a left back in a back four. He has also played as a winger in a 3-4-3. Eustaquio will look to dictate the tempo for the Canadian midfield. Mark-Anthony Kaye will likely do a lot of the dirty work playing as a box-to-box midfielder, and Atiba Hutchinson's experience could prove to be vital if they need to close out a game. Larin and David are both physical and extremely efficient at pressing their opponents, as is backup striker Cavallini. Experienced midfielder Junior Hoilett could line up behind them, or on either wing.
Potential line-up (3-5-2):
GK: Milan Borjan
CB: Alistair Johnston
CB: Steven Vitoria
CB: Kamal Miller
RWB: Richie Laryea
LWB: Alphonso Davies
CM: Mark-Anthony Kaye
CM: Stephen Eustaquio
AM: Junior Hoilett
 |
| Tajon Buchanon, Alphonso Davies, and Stephen Eustaquio |
FW: Jonathan David
FW: Cyle Larin
World Cup Schedule
Belgium - November 23, Al Rayyan
Croatia - November 27, Al Rayyan
Morocco - December 1, Doha
