TORONTO — Jesse Marsch sees a group at ease.
Canada’s men’s soccer team gathered at BMO Training Ground on Toronto’s chilly, windswept northern edge Tuesday as it ramps up preparations as co-hosts for the World Cup.
Among the players not in attendance is star left back Alphonso Davies, who remained in Germany with Bayern Munich as he continues to recover from a strained hamstring after returning from a torn knee ligament.
The 29th-ranked Canadians will take part in a pair of friendlies at Toronto’s BMO Field — Saturday against No. 74 Iceland and Tuesday against No. 47 Tunisia.
The March international window represents two of Canada’s final four games on home soil before the World Cup. The country will also face No. 52 Uzbekistan in Edmonton on June 1 and No. 59 Ireland in Montreal four days later — its final tune-ups before the tournament being held alongside the United States and Mexico, set to begin June 11.
The Canadians open the global showcase June 12 in Toronto against the winner of a European playoff, which could be 13th-ranked Italy. They then face Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24 at Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2026.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
