The Canadian men’s team faced elite opposition in 2024 and can expect more of the same next year ahead of co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, coach Jesse Marsh said.
A fourth-place finish in Canada’s first Copa America trip this summer marks the first time in a year that the Canadian men’s team, currently ranked a career-high 31st, will face six top-20 teams (twice) in top-ranked Argentina. provided a memorable moment. France ranks 2nd, the Netherlands 7th, Uruguay 11th, the United States 16th, and Mexico 19th.
Marsch said Canada Soccer is planning an equally difficult 2025 schedule to play friendlies against “big” European, African and South American countries.
“When you look at the schedule, it’s really hard to think about some of the teams we’re going to play and what we’re going to see from those teams, what those challenges are,” Marsch said with a laugh.
The first is the CONCACAF Nations League finals, with Canada taking on defending champion Mexico in the semifinal and the United States taking on Panama in the other semifinal. Both games are scheduled for March 20 in Inglewood, California.
The Canadian men then turn their focus to the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup as Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium joins 13 U.S. venues for the 16-nation tournament, which runs from June 14 to July 6. The tournament begins with an international window early this month. .
There are also international counters in September, October, and November.
Match at home ground
Marsch said he expects a large number of Canada’s games to be played in their home stadiums, and some may be played south of the border against opponents playing in the United States.
Montreal is one of the home country destinations.
“We’re trying to find more ways to play in more places than just Toronto,” Marsch said.
Canada posted a 6-3-5 record in 2024, with one tie turning into a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay and another tie turning into a penalty shootout win over Venezuela to advance to fourth place in the Copa.
“At this point, I was hoping we would be somewhere where we are now,” Marsch said. “But what really surprised me was how quickly they figured it out from the start.
“The fact that they are so smart and were able to kind of understand what I was trying to do with them allowed us to be very aggressive in every way. Aggressive in the way we play, aggressive in the way we play. By being aggressive about the expectations we created for each other, we were able to quickly build trust.
“That part was incredibly fun and impressive from their perspective.”
“The confidence of this team is growing, which is an exciting proposition for the challenges ahead,” Marsch said.
Appointed coach of then-No. On May 13 at 49 Canada, Marsch played against 33 different players in his 13 games. But he relied on a core group of 13 players to take the field no fewer than nine times.
Marsch is pleased with the numbers and is not surprised by the use of the core group, saying there are parts of his roster that are “a little bit ahead of the rest of the group that we know of.”
“The key to our journey is that when we get to 2026, we have 26 players ready to perform at the highest level against our greatest needs,” he said. “I think we’re getting there.
Mauro Biello was interim coach for the side’s first game of the year, a 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in a Copa America play-in match.
The Canadian men’s team outscored their 2024 opponents 14-13 and ended the year on a five-game undefeated streak (4-0-1), with eight of Canada’s goals coming against CONCACAF opponents. Canada is ahead 7-4 in six Copa America games.
Jonathan David scored five goals and added four assists in 2024, surpassing Cyle Larin’s Canadian record for total goals with 31 (Larin had 30). At club level, David leads French Ligue 1 with 11 goals in 14 games and reached the 100-goal milestone for Lille earlier this month. This figure is close to the club record of 112 goals set by the late Andre Stape in the 1950s.
Davis’ contract with David expires
David and Canada’s captain Alphonso Davis (Bayern Munich) are attracting attention from top European clubs as their contracts expire at the end of this season. David has expressed interest in the English Premier League but could go to a top Italian club if he does not receive a suitable English offer.
The point is that Marsch is smiling these days.
“I used that phrase a lot, and my agent told me not to, but there were a few jobs where I got paid a lot of money and didn’t feel like it was enough,” he said. “My goal has always been to find a job that I can do for free. I’ve been lucky enough to have one, and this is one of those jobs.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. I enjoy the people I work with. I enjoy the players. It’s really exciting because there are so many people who want to support what we’re trying to build.”
The Marshes are planning a family Christmas with their three children at their home in Tuscany, Italy. The Marshes are also building a house in Mexico.
“We decided to live only in warm weather.” Marsh said with a smile.
