Alphonso Davies was named to Canada’s World Cup squad on Friday night even as a hamstring injury from earlier this month keeps his availability for the opener in doubt. Coach Jesse Marsch selected a 26-player roster, with Canada opening June 12 in Toronto agai
Friday night brought a headline moment for Canada — and a quiet warning wrapped inside it. Alphonso Davies. the team’s captain and a key Bayern Munich figure. was named to Canada’s World Cup squad despite suffering a hamstring injury earlier this month in the loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semifinals.
The timing matters. It’s still too soon to know whether Davies will be fit for the team’s opener, with his injury recovery still unfolding while the tournament begins on June 11.
Davies is among the most prominent players selected for the 26-player roster. Joining him are Juventus forward Jonathan David, Southampton forward Cyle Larin, and Villarreal midfielder Tajon Buchanan. The squad is made up of nine defenders. 10 midfielders. four forwards and three goalkeepers — a structure coach Jesse Marsch shaped while preparing for the intensity of a World Cup that Canada is co-hosting with the United States and Mexico.
Marsch had Davies included on Canada’s latest 32-player training camp roster earlier this week, but the captain didn’t immediately join the team. He stayed in Germany to continue his recovery, a detail that underlines how fragile the injury situation still is.
Canada’s focus in the days after camp has shifted to match preparation. The team trained this past week in Charlotte, North Carolina, ahead of a pair of preparation matches: against Uzbekistan on Monday in Edmonton, and against Ireland on June 5 in Montreal.
Canada’s Group B path is already set. Alongside Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Canadians will play all three group-stage matches on home soil. Ranked No. 30 in the world, Canada opens on June 12 in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
If the roster’s major names reflect ambition, Canada’s World Cup history adds urgency. The team has appeared at the tournament twice before — Mexico 1986 and 2022 — and has never advanced past the group stage. In Qatar four years ago. Canada finished at the bottom of its group. even though Davies scored Canada’s first World Cup goal in a 4-1 loss to Croatia.
Injuries also touch other corners of the squad. Promise David, a forward, is coming off hip surgery for a ruptured tendon in February. Moise Bombito. a defender. hasn’t played for the national team since breaking his leg in a 2-2 draw with Monaco in October. Midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg also made the roster, but he too injured his hamstring earlier this month.
Between the posts, Marsch hasn’t named a starter between Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair. Both will play in the upcoming friendlies before Marsch makes a decision.
Crépeau summed up the mindset on the Canadian television broadcast announcing the squad: “We know what’s coming in terms of a decision and we’re both mature enough to understand our role for the team. whatever the decision is. We understand that we’ll be here for one another and for the team on and off the field.”.
For Canada. the World Cup starts with a simple truth: the squads are set. the matches are scheduled. and the opening question now sits in the body of their captain. Whether Davies can push through the hamstring injury will shape how prepared Canada feel for the very first moment they step onto the World Cup stage.
Alphonso Davies Canada World Cup squad Jesse Marsch hamstring injury Bayern Munich Jonathan David Cyle Larin Tajon Buchanan Maxime Crepeau Dayne St. Clair Bosnia and Herzegovina June 12 Toronto
So he’s on the roster but hurt… cool cool.
They named him anyway? That seems risky, like why not wait. Also June 12 opener in Toronto but the article says June 11 tournament start?? I’m confused already. Hope he’s back because Canada really needs him.
Hamstring keeps him “in doubt” but he’s captain and Bayern guy so of course he gets picked. That’s probably politics or marketing, not fitness. And didn’t they say he stayed in Germany to recover… so how is he training with Canada then? Match prep in Charlotte sounds like a separate world.
I heard from a cousin that he was fully fine, so this headline feels misleading. Like is he actually gonna play or is it just a “named to squad” thing for headlines? Also why does the coach need 9 defenders / 10 midfielders / 4 forwards… I don’t even keep track. Canada’s group path is set already but now I’m worried we’ll start without him and still have to face Switzerland and Qatar or whatever.