Канадчууд дэлхийн аваргын талбайд түүхэн амжилт үзүүллээ

In the end, the enduring image of Canada’s World Cup was not of the young player who suffered a horrific broken leg. Or a driven veteran hammering home an historic goal. Or even players hanging their heads when their tournament came to a close.

It was that of a man — not even a Canadian — who pointed with purpose at a tightly-woven group and anointed them the people they always wanted to be.

“You are Canadian heroes,” Jesse Marsch shouted at his 26 players and staff as they gathered around the Canada head coach in an emotional huddle, minutes after Canada had won their first men’s World Cup knockout round game.

It came after his Canada side had also logged their first World Cup points and win, elevating them into a different tier of international soccer, but they needed to hear Marsch’s message.

“Canadian heroes,” Marsch would repeat, for his team and the whole country to hear.

For generations, it was rare to call men’s Canadian soccer players “heroes”. Canada had been to two World Cups previously and lost every game. They finished 31st of 32 teams at the 2022 World Cup. But this time, their new description was apt, even ifthe story of how Canada became heroes is not so cut-and-dry as Marsch made out.

Canada were missing star midfielder Ismael Kone after a broken leg. Creative midfielder Marcelo Flores had previously made the roster before rupturing his ACL in his final club game. Multiple other starters were suffering from injuries of their own and were not nearly as effective as anyone in Canada would have hoped. Expectations were never as high as for the other co-hosts, Mexico and the United States. The question over whether star captain Alphonso Davies would play following a hamstring injury hung over the entire tournament.

And so this team’s story is one of resilience, and of a sport that has been changed in Canada forever. The Athletic spoke to multiple people in and around the Canadian team, on condition ofanonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, to help tell the inside story of Canada’s World Cup.

As Moise Bombito walked slowly from a training field to the dressing room, every face he passed grew longer and longer. Each of Bombito’s slightly hobbled steps brought forth a crushing realization.

And then, sadness.

Canada’s centre-back, a crucial part of their World Cup hopes, was one of the last players off the pitch following a training session in Toronto. The team’s first World Cup game at home was just days — hours, really — away.

Some staff members patted Bombito solemnly on the back. All signs pointed to Bombito leaving the team due to injury.

After breaking his left leg and requiring surgery in October 2025, Bombito had not fully healed in the way Canada Soccer hoped. He had only played 31 minutes in Canada’s first World Cup warm-up friendly against Uzbekistan a week earlier, limping off the pitch with an ice pack over his left shin. He then struggled through a closed-door friendly against a USL side in Montreal.

In Toronto, as Bombito hobbled away, director of performance Pierre Barrieu followed and shook his head.Bombito disappeared into Toronto FC’s training ground dressing room and, presumably, out of the World Cup.

The clock was ticking. Canada had until the afternoon of July 11 to name an injury replacement. It was thought that Bombito’s inability to hit maximum speeds and play with the power that was always evident in his game would lead to him being replaced on the World Cup roster.

But he had other plans.

There was an intense, deep self-belief that propelled him in almost everything he did. A highlight of Canada’s training camp in Charlotte was Bombito stating — no, bragging — that even after not having played since October, he would be “100 per cent” ready to play Canada’s World Cup opener. He seemed to question the veracity of reporters even contemplating the alternative.

Bombito is also loyal. He wanted to reward the work of the people who believed in him. Canada’s medical staff had invested long hours — with one of them travelling to Nice, France to aid in his recovery — in smoothing him back to full fitness.

And so Bombito eventually looked staff members in the eyes and, according to multiple people, said he would do anything possible for this team on the pitch. He was not going anywhere. He promised the coaching and medical staff he would be effective for Canada, even while not at 100 per cent himself.

Bombito’s self-belief meant he was staying with the team. His message became one that inadvertently galvanized the whole group.

Moise Bombito refused to let his World Cup dream die, and galvanized the group as a result (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Canada’s coaches put faith in the team’s medical staff. As injuries ran rampant in the squad immediately before the tournament, some around the team questioned why roster spots were used on players who may not end up being fit.But by the end of the tournament, the coaching staff’s faith in the medical staff had proved justified.

Alfie Jones had suffered a severe ankle injury in December 2025, but Canada’s medical staff believed they had isolated the reason Jones’ ankle wasn’t healing as planned. They shortened his recovery time. Jones then suffered a minor hamstring tear during a World Cup training session. Once again, the medical team got Jones to a better place earlier than expected.

Seen internally as a strong and intelligent centre-back capable of shutting down top opposition, he was medically cleared to play in Canada’s last game against Morocco. Marsch could have turned to Jones.

The tireless work of the medical team summed up the entire organization: they recognized this as a chance of a lifetime.

As Canada’s World Cup got underway, the team rallied together in the face of those injuries, remaining close-knit and free of egos.

As Luc de Fougerolles rose to prominence and earned regular starting spots, the entire team supported their new star’s ascent. When another youngster, 22-year-old Niko Sigur, did not receive the anticipated playing time, the coaching staff was thrilled to see him and those others on the fringes maintaining a positive attitude.

The fractions that can develop in a team over a tournament were non-existent.But something else was evident as Canada opened their World Cup at home on a perfect June afternoon in Toronto: nerves.

This was a team used to having a small handful of reporters cover friendlies. But in Toronto in the days before their opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the total number of media in attendance approached 100.

Jesse Marsch and Stephen Eustaquio face the media on the eve of the start of Canada’s World Cup (Maja Hitij – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Their opener was the biggest game in the history of men’s soccer in Canada. And players seemed to be aware of that.

Staff members were alarmed to see how jittery Canada looked in possession. Canada had moments but never appeared to be playing with the confidence or tactical discipline for which the coaching staff had hoped.

Canada, many inside the team determined, were struggling with anxiety. Kone and Alistair Johnston’s performances stood out in the 1-1 draw. But if the team could not shake the nerves that hampered their play, they would not be able to execute their pressing, front-foot game.

After an uneven performance, only a late goal from substitute Cyle Larin rescued a draw. Larin plugged his ears with his fingertips to celebrate. Canada had to block out the mounting noise around them.

It was evident there was also going to be increased pressure on Larin’s most common forward partner, Jonathan David. Helooked out of sorts after he saw a ball fall to him, unmarked, on the penalty spot in the 17th minute against Bosnia, and sent his hurried shot into the arms of goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.

Pressure mounted on David. Through Canada’s two-week training camp before the World Cup, David had been one of the very few Canadian players not to address the media. Calls for him to speak were consistent.

Asked by Canada Soccer to do so, David held firm, stating: “I will speak after Qatar.”

David’s implication was that he was sure he would score in Canada’s second game, where a win against Qatar was necessary for the co-hosts to have any real chance of emerging from the group.

Following the Bosnia game, as Marsch reviewed the performance on video with his team, he pointed out moments where the team’s actions lacked urgency. He warned his team of the perils of another shaky performance.

“Almost the entire tournament, for me, is riding on the Qatar match,” Marsch told his team, as documented by Canada Soccer.

Cyle Larin sought to shut out the noise, but pressure was mounting after the Bosnia draw (Charlotte Wilson/Getty Images)

The first thing many heard was a crack, like a ball ripping off a baseball bat. The next thing people saw was Kone’s face, his mouth gaping.

In a quiet moment in the second half, Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo had crept in towards Kone after the midfielder had played a simple pass. With one sweeping kick, Kone’s leg was broken.

While Canada’s medical staff tended to Kone’s leg, goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau kneeled beside his team-mate and placed a hand on his chest. Even as Crepeau was being pulled away by a member of FIFA’s own medical team, the team’s leader wanted to stay by Kone’s side.

Before the stricken midfielder was lifted onto a stretcher, Dr Dave Simon, Canada’s MD, checked Kone’s breathing patterns. He asked the 24-year-old to look him in the eyes, not at his leg.

“You could see it in his eyes,” Simon said. “He knew.”

Simon told Kone he was going to hospital. But he also delivered instructions.“’Before you go off,’” Simon told Kone, “you have to wave to your mom. You have to let her know you’re OK.”

Kone found his mom Suzanne in the crowd and waved, and continued waving to thousands more fans.

Kone, sitting on a stretcher, waves as he departs the World Cup (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Nearby, De Fougerolles, the youngest player on the team at 20, buried his head into his jersey. He had not experienced a team-mate going down with gruesome injuries before. That’s when he saw Crepeau. The 32-year-old placed his gloves on de Fougerolles’ head and looked him in the eyes.

Less than four years earlier, Crepeau also had his World Cup snatched away from him when he broke his leg in his final club game before the tournament.

“Man, it’s so difficult to put into words, but it was a moment to say: ‘Hey, you’re not alone, I’m feeling the same thing as you’,” Crepeau said afterwards.

The team congregated together on the pitch. They had to win big for their team-mate.

Larin had already opened the scoring. David had scored twice already, too, and would add a third goal, making good on his promise.

But it was Canada’s fourth goal that truly sent their World Cup mission into orbit.

After coming on as a substitute for his close friend, Nathan Saliba scored a gorgeous, curling free kick. He ran to the sidelines and held up Kone’s jersey. Canada won 6-0, propelling them into first place in the group. A draw against Switzerland in their final game would be enough to top Group B.

The following day, team-mates gathered outside their team hotel to welcome Kone back from surgery at Vancouver General Hospital. They cheered and beamed as he stepped out of a white van. Kone laughed and smiled, because that’s what he does. The first person he hugged was Saliba, who pulled his friend in tight.

“My brothers, tough times,” Kone said when addressing the Canada team afterwards. “I never thought I’d be in this position, ever. But when I saw you guys, when I saw Max, Moise, Nathan, Johnny, DC, everyone, I was like, ‘OK, I’m fine’.”

Nathan Saliba holds up Ismael Kone’s No 8 shirt (Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

Before Canada’s final group stage game against Switzerland, Marsch was asked a variation of the same question he had been facing for weeks: would Alphonso Davies, who had yet to play in the tournament after suffering a hamstring injury with Bayern Munich on May 6, be ready to play?

Marsch said Davies, Canada’s captain and star player, would be available.

Given that Davies entered the World Cup with a hamstring injury — he had a recent history of hamstring problems — there was concern from Bayern Munich, Canada Soccer and Davies about his health and the risk of re-injuring. It was agreed by all parties that Matthias Blankenburg, an independent specialist from Germany, would travel to Canada to aid Davies in his recovery.

Multiple people familiar with the situation have told The Athletic there was no pre-arranged agreement between Canada Soccer and Bayern over when Davies would play in the World Cup.

“The rules on player availability and return-to-play decisions are very clear under FIFA rules as far as players who are on national team duty during a FIFA window,” Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue told reporters after the World Cup. “Player availability is determined by the national team and that was the case in this instance as well.”

Canada training sessions in the lead-up and early in the tournament saw Davies training separate from his team. On limited occasions, Davies did not take part in Canada’s standard pre-match huddle before sessions.

Alphonso Davies would often train alone (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)

The questions about Davies became continuous. Davies spoke twice in training camp: upon arrival with the team in Edmonton, and then again in Montreal ostensibly to address his own comments on a podcast that he would not be available for Canada’s World Cup opener. Each time, he spoke vaguely about his availability.

At a time when Canada was clamouring for its best player, Davies struggled in the spotlight. After Canada’s 2-1 loss to Switzerland, many players stopped to address the media. Davies, however, walked by reporters with his phone glued to his ear.

Many inside the Canada camp insist Davies’ status was not a distraction. He made speeches before the matches that some staff members found stirring.

“There’s no second chances,” Davies told his team-mates before one game. “It’s either we go out there like the coach says, we show them the energy, the motivation and the belief we have as a team and our fight, or we pack our bags and go home.”

Marsch was clear before Canada’s opener against Bosnia that Davies was not available to play. Against Qatar, Davies was deemed available, but did not enter the game with Canada having wrapped the win up early.

Externally, the decision to even bring Davies to the World Cup was being questioned. But internally, the coaching staff remained resolute. Davies at, say, 75 per cent could impact a game in a way few others could. The possibility of him influencing one game for a brief stint was more valuable to Canada’s coaching staff than a fully healthy player who might not see the field.

Behind the scenes, Canada were always looking at the final group game against Switzerland as the match when Davies’ injury might have healed. And sure enough, that game was important.

Jesse Marsch had an ability to rile those outside the Canadian bubble (Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz/Getty Images)

But if there was one misstep that could stay with Marsch long after the World Cup, it was his public insistence in the lead-up to the Switzerland game that Davies would be available to play. When he did not, the head coach revealed with apparent pride that he was using Davies’ status as a “decoy”. The player had never been likely to feature against the Swiss.

Marsch believed that if the Swiss coaching staff would expend time and energy planning for Davies instead of other players, his plan would be successful.

“My main loyalty is to this team and doing whatever is possible to help this team be successful in the tournament,” Marsch explained the following day. “Obviously, I want the country to be wrapped around it … but this is not friendly. This is competitive and we’re going to do whatever we can as a group to make sure that we can get an edge.”

The head coach made many statements throughout the tournament that drew the ire of media outside Canada. Few in Canada Soccer seemed to mind: part of the goal in a home World Cup was to raise the profile of the team and Marsch was doing that, in his own way. Yet many around the team questioned why he was so brazen in his efforts to misconstrue the truth.

Marsch’s stock should rise in Canada because of the results of his team. But some might now how skeptical some might be of any future proclamations from the head coach. Perhaps he did not realize that in trying to mislead Switzerland, he misled Canadian fans too.

After another jittery start, Canada allowed two goals within 11 minutes against Switzerland immediately after half-time.

Even with a late second-half rally and a stunning goal — the result of a sublime touch from Saliba and a powerful finish from Promise David — Switzerland’s two goals proved the difference. In front of his team after the game, Crepeau immediately put his hand up to take ownership of the second goal, which had bounced off the Canadian goalkeeper’s gloves and into the net.

“No!” multiple players shouted in unison, cutting Crepeau off.

“You have saved our ass so many times!” one player shouted asthe rest of the team nodded along.

Maxime Crepeau buries his head in the turf after shipping a soft goal to Switzerland (Jared C. Tilton/FIFA via Getty Images)

Crepeau made many daring and aggressive saves that allowed Canada to secure the results they did. But what many on the outside did not know that the goalkeeper — one of the team’s emotional leaders — was also dealing with a personal issue throughout the tournament. That Crepeau was able to maintain a level head on the pitch speaks to his leadership, and how much this World Cup meant to him.

After finishing second in Group B, Canada was forced to head south to Los Angeles for their first ever-knockout round game. The defeat by Switzerland had cost them a knockout game in Vancouver.

“Lively, lively, lively,” Bombito shouted at team-mates before they walked onto the SoFi Stadium pitch to face South Africa.

The team gathered in a circle. Kone hobbled, without the aid of crutches, into the middle. Marsch begged his team to bring their hands together first around Kone, and then around those close.

“Reach each other, reach each other, reach each other,” Stephen Eustaquio implored his team.

In a tone barely above a whisper, Kone gave his team instructions: “It’s going to be family on three,” he said before shouting: “One, two, three. Family!”

Ismael Kone emerges at SoFi stadium and would later leave the crutches behind to address his team-mates (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

At half time with the score 0-0, Marsch reminded his players that the expected goals (xG) suggested they should be up 1-0. The chances were coming. “As you can see, if you don’t have solutions quickly when you get the ball, they close quickly,” Marsch said.

And then came Davies’ moment. The left-back finally entered the World Cup in the second half, and took the captain’s armband from Eustaquio, who had often delivered the truths many on the team needed to hear, reminding them of their responsibilities and that standards could not slip.

Davies changed the pace of the game, and yet a tense affair dragged into stoppage time. Then, a misdirected South Africa header found its way to Eustaquio.

After calling out his team-mates for not finishing their chances at times in the tournament, Eustaquio simply corralled the ball, saw a sliver of daylight and fired a shot with force and precision. Many within the team found it fitting that it was Eustaquio who scored the biggest goal in Canadian men’s soccer history.

Canada’s players swarm to Stephen Eustaquio after his late winner against South Africa (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Marsch called his team heroes for inspiring a generation of Canadian children in a way past generations of players were never able to.“We have a special group,” Eustaquio told reporters. “When we fight for each other, when we play for each other, special things like this can happen.”

After the win, Kone managed to move to the middle of the dressing room, without crutches, and danced without hesitation alongside Promise David and Tani Oluwaseyi.

The heat continued as Canada moved to Houston. They could not always train at the intensity they wanted to in the oppressive south Texas humidity.

Canada wanted to push Morocco, who had beaten the Netherlands in the round of 32, to the brink. In the days leading up to the game, Canada faced questions about how they would topple the best team they’d faced in years, a Moroccan side ranked sixth in the world by FIFA.“This is a team that has literally zeroweaknesses,” Marsch said of Morocco.

And yet for 45 minutes, Canada found and then exploited some. Multiple staff members believe Canada’s first half against Morocco was the best the team has ever played under Marsch.

Every player bought into the game plan. That included Bombito, who played his first 90 minutes of the entire World Cup. In the first half, Canada would generate 13 touches in Morocco’s half compared to just one from their opponents in their own.

Moise Bombito (right) played his first football of the tournament against Morocco (Thomas Coex/AFP via Getty Images)

Canada’s best first-half chance fell to Oluwaseyi but his shot was saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Multiple players threw their hands onto their heads, seemingly knowing how rare chances like that would be against this team.

Morocco ended up weathering the storm and, while their three goals were not reflective of the balance of play, Canada simply could not match their quality.

Davies was conspicuous by his absence. In Canada’s final training session, he told staff members his hamstring did not feel right. He took an MRI which did not reveal any new damage. He wanted to play against Morocco but he felt anxious the morning of the game and was concerned about aggravating his injury, so he told Marsch he should not play against Morocco.

Internally, some staff members backed Davies’ decision, understanding the pressure he faces playing for a club of Bayern’s magnitude. Others wondered why Davies would not want to play in the biggest game in the program’s history.

By the end of the tournament, while Davies’ speeches stirred up feelings behind closed doors, his impact in front of the Canadian public during a home World Cup fell short.

The same should not be said for the Canadian team as a whole.

De Fougerolles established himself as Canada’s next great player. Johnston and Eustaquio showed both grit and quality and led the way. The way the side pushed through adversity saw them set new television ratings records for the national team and fire a country with their spirited displays.

In Canada, supporting other nations at the World Cup has always been easy. This was the summer that supporting Canada became en vogue.

Luc de Fougerolles was Canada’s breakout star of the tournament (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images)

“I just wanted to be able to look myself in the mirror after this World Cup and say that you left it all out there,” Johnston told reporters. “And I do think we’ve done that.”

They were able to call themselves heroes not just because of how they played, but because of what they pushed through on the world’s biggest stage.

“I just hope that what (Canadians) watched they can be proud of,” Johnston added. “They saw a Canadian team that was not afraid of anyone, that played how I think we always want all of our Canadian teams to play — it doesn’t matter the sport.”