Canada captain Alphonso Davies, sidelined for the World Cup opener with a hamstring injury, is expected to be available for Thursday’s match against Qatar after limited practice and a return-to-play protocol.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The uncertainty ended just enough for Canada to plan again.
Captain Alphonso Davies, who missed Canada’s World Cup opener while recovering from a hamstring injury, is expected to be available when Canada plays Qatar on Thursday, coach Jesse Marsch said Wednesday evening.
Davies was limited in training during an open practice earlier this week and was still in the return-to-play protocol. Marsch said the team worked through the process during the week, and that the next step is simple: see how the match feels once he gets on the field.
“He’s been in training this week, and he’ll be available tomorrow, and we’ll see how the match goes and then make a decision on how we would choose to use him,” Marsch said.
The hamstring issue began last month while Davies was playing for Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals. It followed another major injury in his international career: Davies has not played for Canada since March 2025, when he tore an ACL in the CONCACAF Nations League finals.
In March, Marsch spoke about Davies as a player the team has been preparing to have back, not just in practice, but in the kind of moments that decide World Cup games.
“We’ve worked really well through this, and Alphonso is looking really good,” Marsch said. “So it’s just a matter of, OK, what kind of game is it, what kind of moment is it, and how do we feel Alphonso can contribute right now? But he’s ready, he’ll be available.”
Davies’ absence shaped the opener. Canada opened the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday in Toronto. Late substitute Cyle Larin scored the equalizer in the 78th minute.
Qatar entered its first match with a similar result. Qatar pulled off a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on Saturday in Santa Clara, California. Boualem Khoukhi scored for Qatar in stoppage time for the nation’s first-ever World Cup point.
All four teams in Group B had one point heading into their second matches.
For Canada, the stakes of getting Davies back are measured in more than minutes played. The decision on how to use him—whether to start. ramp him in gradually. or adjust based on the flow of the game—will come after the team watches how his hamstring holds up in the real intensity of a World Cup match.
Alphonso Davies Canada Qatar World Cup Jesse Marsch hamstring injury Bayern Munich Group B