06/18/26 18:05
A look at Qatar’s starting lineup
– Neil Davidson
Ten of Qatar’s 11 starters play for domestic teams. The exception is defender Homam Ahmed, who has been loaned out to Cultural Leonesa, a second-division side in Spain, by Qatar’s Al-Duhail Sports Club.
Qatar is coached by former Spanish international goalkeeper Julen Lopetegui, who coached Spain from 2016 to 2018, but was fired two days before the 2018 World Cup after Real Madrid announced he would be its new coach the following season.
He went on to win UEFA’s Europa League title with Spain’s Sevilla in 2020 before moving to England to take charge of Wolves and West Ham in the Premier League.
As a keeper, he came up through Real Madrid’s academy and went on to play for Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano, among other teams.
06/18/26 18:00
Dueling chants at kickoff
– Moira Wyton
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General view of the kick off at the start of the match.Albert Gea/Reuters
Aaaand we have kickoff. The Voyageurs and the Qatari fan section are duelling with their chants from across the stadium as the teams begin the battle on the field.
06/18/26 17:58
Thunderous cheers for Team Canada inside BC Place
– Moira Wyton
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A fan of Canada waves a flag before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver.Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
The thunderous cheers for Team Canada just hit 149 decibels in BC Place – about the same as being right next to a jet engine taking off – according to the stadium’s sound gauge. That’s loud enough to cause severe, immediate damage to your hearing, my iPhone’s health tracker tells me, but I couldn’t exactly hear the alert.
If that wasn’t enough to shake a tectonic plate like Erling Haaland’s goals did in Norway earlier this week, I’ll be surprised.
06/18/26 17:48
Whether Davies hits the field remains a big maybe
– David Ebner
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Canada’s Alphonso Davies walks on the pitch as his team arrives prior to the World Cup Group B soccer match against Qatar in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)Abbie Parr/The Associated Press
This week I wrote about the mystery of Canada’s most contemplated hamstring: that of Alphonso Davies. He’s available to play today, Canada coach Jesse Marsch said late Wednesday, perhaps as a substitute.
Mark that as a maybe. We’ll see. What’s certain is he’s not starting today. Less than zero surprise there.
Here’s the detailed context.
Last year, Davies blew his ACL playing for Canada. The reaction of his employer, Bayern Munich, was, I’d say, privately apoplectic. They’re paying him a ton of money and he missed many months. When he was back, he hurt his right hamstring twice this year and then, during a Champions League semifinal in early May, his left hamstring.
That was six weeks ago. Davies didn’t join Canada when the whole team first got together for the World Cup and then after joining the team from Germany he has been with the group but training on his own. That’s overseen by Matthias Blankenburg, a Bayern-approved sports scientist based in Munich who “works at the highest level.”
The rumours around Davies, predictably, range. One suggests Bayern doesn’t want Davies to play at all at this World Cup. One fact is Bayern recently acquired Nathaniel Brown, who is currently starting for Germany at the World Cup and who could replace Davies as a starter at the club later this year. Chatter also includes talk that Davies will be sold to another top club soon. Davies hurting himself here would more than mildly displease Bayern.
Davies made his professional debut a decade ago for the Vancouver Whitecaps as a 15-year-old wunderkind. He must desperately want to play at this World Cup, where he, at 25, is the youngest team captain of 48 countries. He could, with a big performance, carry Canada into the knockout round and cement a lasting legend.
He must also be terrified of hurting himself yet again. His Canada teammate Alistair Johnston last year dealt with a wonky hamstring and then last fall when he injured it again: surgery.
Marsch yesterday said the team has worked closely with Blankenburg. “Alphonso is looking really good,” the coach said. Davies playing today will depend on what’s happening in the match against Qatar, the coach said.
Let’s say, if Canada desperately needs him late in the game, it’s a maybe. Also, if Canada is comfortably up late in the game, maybe he comes on for a jog. Or, perhaps most probably, he doesn’t play – and instead, hopefully, plays next week in the key final group stage game against Switzerland. Or maybe he doesn’t play at all.
Canada can – and should – win today without him. But he would, soon enough, be a huge boost to the team’s prospects.
06/18/26 17:45
Media section at BC Place is packed to the gills
– Moira Wyton
This is my view for the match, where it’s tight quarters for photographers and their telescopic lenses. We’re at the foot of the media tribune, which is packed to the gills compared to last Saturday’s game. I’m going to miss having a row to myself!
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Moira Wyton/The Globe and Mail
06/18/26 17:43
Canada beat Qatar by two points when the teams faced off in 2022
– Neil Davidson
Canada and Qatar have only met once before, in a September 2022 friendly in Vienna prior to the 2022 World Cup. Canada won 2-0 on goals by Cyle Larin in the fourth minute and Jonathan David in the 13th minute.
Larin and David start again up front for Canada.
Canada and Qatar are both looking for their first win at the World Cup, having secured their first-ever point in draws against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland, respectively, last time out.
Canada’s record at the tournament is 0-6-1 while Qatar is 0-3-1.
06/18/26 17:41
From Qatar to Vancouver: These Calgary World Cup fans always bring their cowboy hats
– Moira Wyton
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Mitchell Randall and Craig MacTavish wore their cowboy hats to the World Cup in Qatar, and knew they had to bring them from Calgary again this time around.Moira Wyton/The Globe and Mail
Fans have pulled from all corners of Canadiana to rep their team today – hockey jerseys, maple leaf tattoos and, yes, cowboy hats.
Mitchell Randall and Craig MacTavish wore their cowboy hats to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and knew they had to bring them from Calgary again this time around.
MacTavish said he loves the different energies in Vancouver and Toronto, where he attended Canada’s opening match last week.
How are the two Canadian host-cities different? “That’s a dangerous question,” he laughed. “No comment.”
06/18/26 17:30
BC Place is heating up (literally)
– Andrea Woo
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Andrea’s view from the media sectionAndrea Woo/The Globe and Mail
Hello! I’m Andrea Woo and I’m a national reporter based in Vancouver. I’m currently in the heat and crowds of BC Place stadium, regretting my decision to wear long pants. My feelings about slow walkers are tempered only by the swell of overwhelmingly good vibes here today.
Here’s my view from the media section. Guess where the Qataris are sitting?
06/18/26 17:28
Davies and Bombito available, but not in starting lineup
– Neil Davidson
Still no Alphonso Davies or Moïse Bombito in Canada’s starting lineup. Davies, the team captain, and Bombito, its best defender, are among the substitutes for today’s game. Both have been out with injuries. Whether they see action against Qatar will perhaps signal their readiness for the Group B finale against Switzerland on June 24.
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch says both players are available.
“Let’s see how the game goes,” he said.
Of course, a win over Qatar is necessary to set up the Swiss showdown. Should Canada down Qatar and join Switzerland on four points, it can finish no lower than third in the group since Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar, each on one point, play each other in their final game.
06/18/26 17:17
Team Canada takes the field for warm up
– Moira Wyton
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Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, centre, waves to fans in the stands while warming up prior to Canada’s match against Qatar in Vancouver, June 18, 2026.Abbie Parr/The Associated Press
With less than an hour to go until kickoff, Team Canada has taken to the pitch to warm up.
The players streamed out of the tunnel to raucous cheers from the Canadian fans. It was so loud I’m already wishing I remembered my earplugs, and the stadium isn’t even half-full yet.
Alphonso Davies ran out with the team and looked in good form, but he’s currently warming up separately from the rest of his teammates and passing a ball with a staff member. The captain is available to play today, head coach Jesse Marsch said, but he’s not in the starting 11.
06/18/26 17:10
Cyle Larin and Ali Ahmed added to Canada’s starting lineup
– Paul Attfield
After watching his team escape its World Cup opener with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto, Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch has restored the scorer of that crucial goal, Cyle Larin, to the starting lineup for Thursday’s match against Qatar. It’s one of two changes to Team Canada’s starting lineup.
After comfortably outplaying Bosnia for most of the match, Marsch will be hoping Larin and Jonathan David – with a combined 70 international goals on their resumes – can find the net as Canada chases its first World Cup win. To help on the creative side, Marsch has also promoted Ali Ahmed – a second-half substitute last week – to the starting lineup in place of Liam Milllar.
Ahmed, who knows BC Place well from his three years as a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps before moving to England’s Norwich City last January, played well, doing more in his 30-minute cameo than many players did over the full 90 minutes.
06/18/26 17:03
Beers are pricey at BC Place
– Moira Wyton
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Beer prices at BC Place.Moira Wyton/The Globe and Mail
BC Place is filling up with fans, and security at the media gate and to get into my spot in the press tribune was noticeably tighter than at Saturday’s Australia vs. Turkey match.
But to my surprise, there hasn’t been a home-team tax added to FIFA’s exorbitant beer prices. It’s still up to $26 for a single draft premium beer, which many fans are understandably availing themselves of on this hot, sunny day. I’ll stick to the free water bottles they’re giving media at our seats.
06/18/26 17:02
Watching today’s game at home from Toronto
– Paul Attfield
Hi everyone, and welcome to the second week of the 2026 World Cup! I’m Paul Attfield, a sports reporter in Toronto, and I, like many of you across the country, will be watching the match on TV at home today – and hoping Jesse Marsch’s men brought their shooting boots this time around.
06/18/26 17:01
Canada’s starting 11 in the match against Qatar
– Neil Davidson
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Canada’s Cyle Larin celebrates scoring their first goal in Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina game.KEVIN SOUSA/Reuters
The Canadian starting 11 go into the match against Qatar with a combined 580 appearances for the country, up from 520 for the starters in last week’s game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Forward Cyle Larin leads with 91 caps. Defender Luc de Fougerolles has the fewest at 14.
Today’s starters have scored a combined 90 goals for Canada. Jonathan David leads with 39 while Larin has 31 goals.
06/18/26 16:53
Team Canada has arrived at BC Place
– Moira Wyton
Team Canada is in the house, and the players were all business when they stepped off the bus. Starting keeper Maxime Crépeau was the first, while Alphonso Davies brought up the rear, as he headed into the stadium where he first started his career.
The “Roadrunner” and many of the 26-man roster had their headphones on as they made their way down the tunnel. I wonder what’s on their pre-game playlists…
06/18/26 16:52
The sun is shining at Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Festival
– Marsha Lederman
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North Vancouver’s Elliott Allard has a moment with the Living Hedges mascots at Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Festival.Marsha Lederman/The Globe and Mail
Hi. I’m Marsha Lederman at the FIFA Fan Festival in Vancouver, where local fans who couldn’t snag/afford tickets to the actual game are amassing to cheer on Team Canada. (Someone I know paid, gulp, $1,200 for a single ticket to the game today.)
Well beyond the stadium, the city is buzzing today – probably nowhere more than here at the PNE grounds, which are about six kilometres east of BC Place. It’s very pleasant here in the sunshine: lots of red t-shirts and Canadian flags.
Streets around here are manageable (so far). A recommended way to get here, if you can, is by bike: There are two free bike valets available.
Make sure you bring sunscreen – and take hydration breaks!
06/18/26 16:48
Canada head coach says the pressure of World Cup got to the team ahead of last Friday’s game
– David Ebner
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Canada head coach Jesse Marsch kicks a ball before a FIFA World Cup soccer training session in Vancouver on Tuesday.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Hello everyone – I’m a national correspondent at The Globe, stationed in Vancouver since 2008 and at the paper since 2000. In the mid-2010s I was a sportswriter, reporting on a wide range of sports, including the women’s World Cup in 2015. Outside of this World Cup, I report on the Supreme Court of Canada.
Late Wednesday, at BC Place, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch spoke to reporters for the first time this week after, I’d say, ducking attention during training. That had to be a strategy to keep the atmospheric fervour contained ahead of today’s big match, with all the questions about the team’s desperate need to score goals and the uncertain health of star Alphonso Davies.
Marsch conceded the pressure got to the team ahead of the Bosnia-Herzegovina game last Friday in Toronto. It showed, for a while, on the field. Canada didn’t play that well in the first half and salvaged a 1-1 draw in the second half against a lesser, but scrappy, opponent that they could have (should have) beaten.
It was “really difficult” to prepare for everything that “the madness” of the World Cup involves, the coach told reporters.
“For us, the first week was a little crazy, I’ll be honest,” Marsch said. “There was a lot of fanfare, and it was a little hectic and chaotic around the team in Toronto.”
The Canadian team got to Vancouver last weekend and trained Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of British Columbia. Marsch said the team has calmed and settled into a rhythm. They’re more focused.
Let’s see how they open the game this afternoon.
06/18/26 16:40
Voyageurs fan club gives morning boost to Irish pub
– Mike Hager
Shalv Mehta, general manager at the Vancouver Fionn MacCool’s franchise, said he was heartened to see 150 people waiting outside the door this morning when the restaurant opened for Team Canada’s Voyageurs’ fan club Thursday morning.
He said he is hoping this momentum continues for the Irish pub, which has been struggling due to being located in an unassuming pocket of Vancouver, far away from the Granville Street strip of bars that has been drawing thousands to watch each World Cup match.
As the head of security for the Vancouver matches chatted with nearby Vancouver police officers, people continued to stream into the lineup to enter his bar.
“We’ve been popular with the locals, but that’s about it,” said Mr. Mehta, who arrived at 6 a.m. this morning and expects to leave at midnight.
06/18/26 16:31
Vancouver has apparently created a whole new type of coffee cup
– Cathal Kelly
One hour and a half before kickoff at BC Place, enjoying a hot cup of joe in this bizarre receptacle. What is going on in Vancouver? Do they think they can make up their own rules or something?
Cups with lips and lids are not a technology that needed improving. This is not a cup. It’s a change purse designed to cover you in boiling liquid.
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A photo of Cathal Kelly’s coffee at BC Place.Cathal Kelly/The Globe and Mail
06/18/26 16:28
Voyageurs’ march to BC Place is underway
– Jesse Winter
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Canada fans celebrate as their team faces Qatar at the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver.Jesse Winter/The Globe and Mail
The march is underway! Thousands of Team Canada supporters led by the Voyageurs’ fan club have filled Quebec Street and are marching towards the stadium. Smoke flares, drumming and lots of O Canada!
There are lots of police around and volunteers trying to keep things moving safely.
06/18/26 16:27
Team Canada is about to arrive at BC Place
– Moira Wyton
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Alphonso Davies arrives before the FIFA World Cup Group B match between Canada and Qatar at BC Place.Fran Santiago/Getty Images
I’m at the player entrance, where Team Canada is about to arrive. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Alphonso Davies, who started his professional career here as a teen with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2016.
06/18/26 16:25
Top goalscorers in the tournament so far
– Sarah Wallace
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Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during Argentina vs. Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium on Tuesday.ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images
The first round of group-stage games might have only concluded yesterday, but the race for the Golden Boot – the top goal scorer of the tournament – is on.
Right now, Lionel Messi is in the lead after scoring a hat trick in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The Argentinian is also tied with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history, with 16.
Here are the standings in the Golden Boot race, so far:
- 1. Argentina’s Lionel Messi (Three goals, no assists, 84 minutes played)
- T2. U.S.’s Folarin Balogun (Two goals, no assists, 77 minutes played)
- T2. Germany’s Kai Havertz (Two goals, no assists, 100 minutes played)
- T2. Sweden’s Yasin Ayari (Two goals, no assists, 100 minutes played)
- T2. England’s Harry Kane (Two goals, no assists, 101 minutes played)
- T2. New Zealand’s Elijah Just (Two goals, no assists, 101 minutes played)
- T2. Norway’s Erling Haaland (Two goals, no assists, 103 minutes played)
- T2. France’s Kylian Mbappé (Two goals, no assists, 106 minutes played)
If the Golden Boot award is tied on goals, the number of assists the player had in the tournament will determine the winner. If it is still tied after the assists, the person who had the least minutes played will be victorious.
06/18/26 16:21
Edmonton fan springs for bespoke maple leaf face paint
– Mike Hager
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Steve Cavers and his girlfriend Amy were one of the 300 or so members of Team Canada’s Voyageurs fan club to show up for the 10 a.m. pre-match party at a Fionn McCools.Mike Hager/The Globe and Mail
Steve Cavers and his girlfriend Amy were among the 300 or so members of Team Canada’s Voyageurs fan club to show up for the 10 a.m. pre-match party at a Fionn MacCool’s. Like the others, they wore red and white jerseys, but Cavers went the extra step of sourcing a local artist to paint a life-size maple leaf on his face.
The Edmonton couple said they could spring for the elaborate face paint because they saved money on accommodations by staying with family after “winning the lottery” to get $1,000 tickets to the game through FIFA’s draw.
Cavers would only say he “likes a couple of them” when asked which of the fan club’s chants is his favourite. His girlfriend clarified why he was reluctant to share: “There’s some profanity in them.”
06/18/26 16:18
World Cup fans from Texas get ready to support Team Canada
– Moira Wyton
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Randy Smith (far right) and his friends from Texas are attending games in all three of the tournament’s host countries.Moira Wyton/The Globe and Mail
There is still over two hours until kickoff, and Randy Smith and his friends are already on their second beer tower.
The boisterous crew of Texans have been friends for at least 15 years – some more than 40 – and are attending games in all three of the tournament’s host countries. They were camped out at the Boston Pizza at the foot of BC Place watching Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina.
This is Smith’s 10th World Cup, and he said it was no question that he would support Canada at the match today.
The Sweden vs. Tunisia game in Monterrey set the bar high for him, but “the atmosphere has been great here so far,” Smith said.
And how many beer towers will they finish before they head into the stadium?
“Seven,” he laughed. “Tower per hour!”
06/18/26 16:14
Team Canada fans crowd bars early for today’s game
– Mike Hager
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Qatar fans, Shahd Badran and Darren Ashour, wearing jerseys near Vancouver’s iconic seawall ahead of today’s match.Mike Hager/The Globe and Mail
Hi, I’m Mike Hager, a reporter in The Globe’s B.C. Bureau. I started my day with a run along Vancouver’s iconic seawall and witnessed hundreds of Team Canada fans crowding into bars as early as 9:30 a.m. PT to prepare for today’s big game. I’m going to watch the team’s fan club march from near Olympic Village to the stadium.
06/18/26 16:10
No tickets available on reseller sites, but FIFA’s marketplace has some for sale
– Sarah Wallace
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General view inside BC Place Vancouver before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Qatar.Fran Santiago/Getty Images
Like when Canada played Bosnia-Herzegovina last Friday, there are no tickets available for resale in the hours leading up to Canada’s game against Qatar. A StubHub spokesperson told me last week that it was FIFA, not the resellers, who cut off ticket transfers hours before matches.
Today, SeatGeek put a notice on its website indicating that listings would be removed three hours prior to kickoff. Ticket pages on both Ticketmaster and StubHub have disappeared as of 12:30 p.m. PT.
You still can buy some tickets on FIFA’s resale marketplace, with prices starting at around $1,100 as of 12:45 p.m. PT.
06/18/26 16:02
Spending thousands to attend Vancouver World Cup games
– Jesse Winter
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Colin Rowsell and Josie Ferrara, from Fort McMurray, Alberta, celebrate as their team faces Qatar at the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
At a pub in Vancouver’s Olympic Village, I met Colin Rowsell and Josie Ferrara from Fort McMurray, Alta.
They spent about $5,000 each to attend four games in Vancouver. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to host, Ferrara said. “We wanted to be here to support the athletes.”
Hundreds of fans are gathering on Quebec Street preparing to march to the stadium. Things are about to kick off!
06/18/26 15:57
Today is a ‘pinch me’ moment
– Moira Wyton
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Fans gather in Vancouver and march to the stadium before the match.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
Hi, I’m Moira Wyton, a journalist based in our Vancouver bureau. My day job is being an editor on The Globe’s audience growth team, but today I’ve slipped out from behind my desk to cover the game from BC Place. This is my first time reporting on a World Cup, and it’s a bit of a “pinch me” moment after playing soccer for 26 years, and watching the men’s and women’s tournaments for almost as long.
The last time I saw Canada’s men’s team play in person was their shocking “Iceteca” win over Mexico in November, 2021, which helped send them to the 2022 World Cup. Fans braved freezing, snowy conditions in my hometown of Edmonton to cheer on the team, and I’m sure more than a few parkas were ruined by spilled beer when the final whistle on the 2-1 victory blew.
It’s about 30 degrees hotter in Vancouver today, so I’m curious to see how hard fans go for the home team when they can actually feel their toes.
06/18/26 15:45
History made in Czechia vs. South Africa match
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Referee Tori Penso and assistant referees Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt before the Czech Republic v South Africa match.Bernadett Szabo/Reuters
– Sarah Wallace
In other World Cup news: History was made today when Americans Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt became the first all-American, all-women refereeing trio to officiate in the men’s tournament. They officiated Czechia’s 1-1 tie with South Africa.
The head referee, Penso, is the second woman ever to call a men’s World Cup match. The first was France’s Stéphanie Frappart, who officiated a Germany vs. Costa Rica game in the 2022 World Cup – also with two other female referees on the field. Penso had previously called the FIFA women’s World Cup final in 2023, where Spain came out victorious over England.
06/18/26 15:35
Getting ready to join the Voyageurs’ march to BC Place
– Jesse Winter
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Jesse Winter’s World Cup gear.Jesse Winter/The Globe and Mail
Hey! I’m Jesse – a writer and photojournalist in the Vancouver bureau. I’m doing double-duty today.
I will be following Canada’s supporters’ club, the Voyageurs, march to the stadium and then swinging by the FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE to watch the game from there.
If it’s anything like the Aussies vs Turkey match on Saturday, it’ll be a wild few hours.
Here’s a look at the kit I’ll be using (and yes, the trail running shoes are crucial – you never know when you might have to crush some techy singletrack!).
Stay tuned here for words and photos of the action!
06/18/26 15:30
Team Canada fans prepare to take over Vancouver
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Fans gather in a bar in Vancouver ahead of the match.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
Vancouver is counting down to its first home-team match of the 2026 World Cup, as fans prepare to give Team Canada a boost against Qatar at BC Place Stadium and at watch parties around the country.
There was a long queue at the official FIFA Fan Festival in East Vancouver, where total tournament attendance is set to surge past the 100,000 mark today.
Organizers say more than 98,000 fans have attended so far, with highest attendance of 31,481 on Saturday.
A staging area for police at the southern foot of Cambie Bridge is a hive of activity, while on and off ramps for the bridge that is the closest downtown crossing to the stadium are already shut.
Canadian supporters group The Voyageurs will be staging a march along the so-called “last mile” to the stadium, starting near Science World where its dome has been transformed into a massive replica of a World Cup soccer ball.
The group says supporters are assembling at 12:30 p.m. local time and setting off 30 minutes later, and will be marching with “flags high, voices louder, building the energy all the way” ahead of the 3 p.m. kickoff.
Canada fans are being encouraged to wear red to the match.
– The Canadian Press
06/18/26 15:30
Carney attending Team Canada’s game in Vancouver
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General view inside the stadium before the match.ANNE-MARIE SORVIN/Reuters
Prime Minister Mark Carney is shifting gears today as he goes from one of the world’s largest political events to the world’s biggest sporting event.
Carney is just back from the G7 Summit in France meeting with top world leaders, and is in Vancouver today where he’ll attend the World Cup match between Canada and Qatar.
Before that, the prime minister will make a homebuilding announcement in the city.
Carney is also due to meet with B.C. Premier David Eby.
– The Canadian Press
06/18/26 15:30
How to watch the games in Canada
– Moira Wyton
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Fans react after Canada scores against Bosnia-Herzegovina during a FIFA World Cup watch party in Etobicoke, Ont., on Friday.Keito Newman/The Globe and Mail
You can watch all 104 matches on television on TSN, or subscribe to stream them on TSN.ca or the TSN+ app. Check your cable package to see if you have TSN included, and find the full broadcast schedule here.
Thirty matches, including all three Canada group-stage games, will be available to watch on CTV or to stream through the CTV channel via the Crave app.
And The Globe and Mail will have live coverage of all Team Canada matches, as well as news and analysis throughout the tournament, which you can find here.
06/18/26 15:30
Alphonso Davies available to face Qatar as Canada chases elusive World Cup win
– David Ebner
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Alphonso Davies works out during a training session during the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament on Monday in Vancouver.Abbie Parr/The Associated Press
At the last World Cup, only two countries out of 32 contenders lost all three of their matches. The depressing result immediately jettisoned them from the tournament. One was the host, Qatar, in its debut on the global soccer stage. The other was Canada.
On Thursday afternoon in Vancouver, redemption and possibly much more is within grasp.
Canada faces Qatar in both countries’ second of three Group B matches at this World Cup. In front of more than 50,000 fans in red and white at BC Place, it will be there for the taking.
Eradicate all the bad memories, decades in the soccer wilderness, the faceplant in Qatar four years ago. Draw from more recent signs of percolating success and deliver this country’s first-ever win at the World Cup.
A victory – and, ideally, a fusillade of goals against lowly ranked (49th) yet resilient Qatar – would likely propel Canada (32nd) into a new soccer frontier, the World Cup knockout rounds. And winning Thursday would mean Canada topping Group B is suddenly realistic. Such an outcome would secure a round of 32 match in Vancouver in early July.
The big news late Wednesday was star Alphonso Davies’s recovery from a hamstring injury.
At a press conference at BC Place, coach Jesse Marsch said Davies is available to play against Qatar, seemingly as a possible substitute.
Read more about Canada’s chase for an elusive World Cup win.
