Soccer <\/p>\n
TORONTO \u2013 From a Drake album cover to a FIFA World Cup<\/a> backdrop, the CN Tower in Toronto loomed over Canada<\/a>\u2019s unveiling of their 26-man roster<\/a> on Friday evening.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Banners for each player named to the team hung from the top of the structure after the players were told their World Cup fate during a closed meeting at camp in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt right away that this was our current best squad, and probably one of the best squads that Canada has ever had,\u201d head coach Jesse Marsch told reporters after revealing his team.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s a great feeling… We should be really proud as Canadians of what we have here, and we should celebrate this team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Representing Canada at the World Cup on home soil \ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 pic.twitter.com\/TkoNocIkJr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Four years ago at Qatar 2022, as Canada embarked on their first World Cup journey since 1986, they were arguably just happy to be there.<\/p>\n Now, ahead of co-hosting the World Cup alongside Mexico and the United States, standards \u2013 and expectations \u2013 are far higher.\u00a0<\/p>\n The team itself is roughly two years younger on average. Thirteen players return for their second World Cup, while the likes of Atiba Hutchinson, Dwayne De Rosario and Craig Forrest, cornerstones of 2022 and past eras, helped announce the roster on TSN.<\/p>\n \u201cWe now have a group that’s in the prime of their careers, performing the best, maybe in their lives, and really ready for a big moment. So my job is to get them fit, get them prepared, have everybody understand what their roles are, and then let them go play,\u201d Marsch noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBruce Arena was the first person to tell me that the World Cup is a young man’s tournament, because the games come fast… so we have tilted very much to involve more and more young players.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The roster was drawn from an expanded group of 32 names called<\/a> for a pre-tournament training camp.<\/p>\n And for some, that’s a palpable sense of relief after injuries hampered preparations.<\/p>\n That certainly applies to Mo\u00efse Bombito, the former Colorado Rapids<\/a> defender who hasn’t played since October due to a leg fracture.<\/p>\n \u201cI will be available 100%,\u201d said Bombito. \u201cWhen I first got injured, I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what was to come, how I was going to recover and if I was going to make it in time for the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n No journey stands out as much as striker Promise David, who underwent significant hip surgery in January, but pushed aside medical doubts to achieve his World Cup dream.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t wait to tell my parents,\u201d David quipped. \u201cI kind of gave up, and then Jesse, in the funniest tone, called me and said to take as much time as you need, you’ll be fine. I said, ‘If he’s banking on me, there’s no reason I shouldn’t bank on myself.’\u201d<\/p>\n Then for others, like LAFC<\/a> winger Jacob Shaffelburg<\/a> and Vancouver Whitecaps<\/a> homegrown product Alphonso Davies, the recovery journey is still ongoing. But they’re nonetheless hopeful of making an impact this summer.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
Rising standards<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Recovery timeline<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n