It is no secret that soccer is not the most popular sport in Canada: ice hockey is. However, during the last few years, the number of people who practice it has increased, especially after the Qatar 2022 World Cup, where Canadians were present for the second time in history.
Canada’s “success” in the 2022 World Cup
The Canadian National Team was the revelation of the CONCACAF qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup after qualifying in first place in the region’s final octagonal round, ahead of the “giants” Mexico and the United States.
Under the guidance of English coach John Herdman, the Canadians had an almost perfect qualifying campaign, with a final phase in which they only lost two matches. They won against the big favorites with good soccer, dynamics, and solidarity.
In 2022, this North American country sealed its ticket to Qatar, creating great excitement within the country. Their success also saw a boost in sports betting in Canada, with tons of people interested in getting into this area. However, Canada lost its last two away games against Costa Rica and Panama, perhaps because the coach decided to try out players with qualifications already in the bag. The last two games were against Curacao, a 4-0 win, and Honduras, a 2-1 loss, in the CONCACAF Nations League.
The selected players decided not to play a warm-up game in June against Panama in the United States as a protest measure when they felt that their federation was not listening to their demands in terms of prizes for being in the World Cup, and benefits for their families to attend the World Cup.
Canada’s soccer history
The history of soccer in Canada began to be written in 1876 when the Toronto Lacrosse Club and Carlton Cricket Club faced each other for the first time in the city of Toronto. From that moment on, different leagues began to be established in various provinces. It was not until years later, though, that the Galt F.C. represented the country in the Olympic Games in Saint Louis, winning the gold medal after defeating the Christian Brothers and Saint Rose clubs.
By 1912, the Canadian Football Association was founded with headquarters in Ottawa, and a year later, it became affiliated with the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), becoming a member of CONCACAF. From that moment on, Canada’s participation in international events began to take place.
The first participation of the Canadian National Team was in 1924 against Australia. However, four years later, a hard blow for soccer would come. Due to problems with amateur players, the Canadian Football Association ceased to belong to FIFA and did not participate in World Cup qualifiers.
It took Canada about 20 years to rejoin the world’s top soccer body. The first qualifiers for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden were played, but Canada failed to qualify against the United States and Mexico. Six World Cup processes went by, and there was no success in any of them.
It was not until the 1986 World Cup in Mexico that the Canadian National Team qualified for the first time for the event, after overcoming two qualifying rounds against Guatemala, Haiti, Costa Rica, and Honduras. The team’s World Cup performance did not go as expected, as they lost all three group-stage matches to France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union.
In 1987, a year after the presentation in Mexico, the Canadian Soccer League was founded. It was the first professional soccer league in Canada, but it lasted only five years.
2000 Gold Cup
Another success that has marked Canadian soccer was in the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Here, they dominated their group, advanced through the rounds, and went all the way to the final against Colombia, winning 2-0 to become champion of the continental tournament and qualify for the 2001 Confederations Cup. It did his social media presence a lot of favors! In the 2002 Gold Cup, they finished third and in 2007, they reached the semifinals.
Due to the country’s infrastructure, in 2015, Canada hosted the Women’s World Cup. In 2017, Toronto F.C. became MLS Cup champions (the first Canadian franchise to do so). It also won the Supporters Shield and the Canadian Championship.
Who is the best Canadian soccer player today?
The Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is not only Canada’s best player but is also considered by many to be the best player in CONCACAF. The Canadian is a fast, agile, and audacious player who can change the course of a match with a flash of his talent. At just 24 years of age, he is already an established player who also shows absolute versatility: He can play both as a winger, with a more defensive role, and as a forward, also showing a great ability to attack as a winger.
