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Originally Posted by logan5
Would be nice to get tougher matchups than that. Playing the US and Mexico makes sense.
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Canada’s pre-World Cup schedule and the reasons behind its opponent choices
On the surface, Canada's run-up to the World Cup may appear underwhelming, but there's reason for it
Joshua Kloke nytimes.com/athletic February 10, 2026
And so there may be some disappointment about Canada’s scheduling, especially considering the team was in talks with top international sides and when seeing that its peer, rival and neighbor to the south, the United States will play Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany before the World Cup. Coupled with the fact that Canada head coach Jesse Marsch’s stated goal for Canada is to win its group, it’s possible to see Canada as entering the World Cup without the maximum level of preparation.
But any such disappointment must be qualified with some important context.
It’s believed Canada Soccer had multiple offers from top European sides, including Germany, to travel to Europe for a March friendly. The federation’s top priority when booking the final four matches before the World Cup was playing on Canadian soil, though. The organization was resolute:
playing in front of home fans was the best way to drum up interest before the biggest tournament in the program’s history.
Canada also has to deal with more climate restrictions than the U.S., which limited the possibilities, particularly for the March window.
For instance, it would have been a lot easier to convince top European teams to travel to Canada for friendlies had there been no concerns over the oft-testy mid-March weather in Toronto.
Yes, playing in Vancouver for Canada, where temperatures can be controlled, is an option. But the state of BC Place’s turf and the added flight distance for European-based players could be seen as strikes against the city as a host for pre-World Cup friendlies.
But the weather limited which teams were interested in making the trip, and Canada Soccer was unwilling to move on the desire to play at home.
That brings us to the June window.
It’s believed
Canada Soccer was willing to pay what could have amounted to an eight-figure appearance fee for the likes of Argentina. Cost was not an issue the way it might have been for past iterations of the organization. Canada contacted many of the world’s top sides about possible friendlies.
Canada simply ran into new hurdles.
Canada will start its World Cup on the second day of the tournament with the third match overall. The early World Cup start date cuts both ways. FIFA has mandated that Canada must report to Toronto for World Cup preparations on June 7. Because of a start date that is earlier than nearly every World Cup team, Canada also had to schedule friendlies earlier in the June window. Canada’s June 5 friendly against Ireland is one day ahead of the U.S.’s June 6 friendly against Germany. It’s believed that Canada ran into questions from top European sides about the early date, as playing earlier in the window would force teams to spend more time than desired outside of their own country before the World Cup. That was a genuine roadblock Canada encountered, and one that led to negotiations with top teams ending without a deal.
There is always risk involved in booking international friendlies. While some in Canada will look at the U.S. slate and wonder what could have been, there is also the very real possibility that Pochettino’s side falls flat against those top-tier opponents, which could sink national pride and interest at a crucial time. (Conversely, victories in such games could serve as a galvanizing force.)
In the final two windows before the 2022 World Cup, Canada traveled to Austria, Slovakia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The preparation did not ultimately serve as a launchpad, as John Herdman’s side finished 31st of the 32 World Cup teams. We’ll soon find out whether Canada Soccer’s focus on playing in front of home crowds pays off with nationwide interest in the World Cup and, most importantly, improved results from four years ago.
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