A look at Team Canada and their Group B opponents ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026
The FIFA World Cup has kicked off in North America, and the question many fans are asking is: Just how far could Canada go?
The spotlight will be extra bright on Team Canada, as one of the co-hosts along with Mexico and the USA. But Les Rouges have never won a single game at a senior men’s World Cup.
Even so, the hype train has charged its way out of the station. Some Canadian fans are dreaming of not only a first-ever win, but a first-ever appearance in the knockout round.
To do so, Canada needs to make it out of Group B, which also features Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland. No true powerhouses in that trio, but no total pushovers either.
READ: FIFA World Cup 2026: Your guide to soccer’s biggest party
Switzerland is the highest-ranked team in the group, at No. 19 in the world. Next comes Canada (No. 30), then Qatar (No. 56) and Bosnia & Herzegovina (No. 64). But world rankings don’t always tell the whole story.
So, let’s see how head coach Jesse Marsch’s side stacks up.
Canada’s recent form
The boys in red enter the tournament with some momentum. In their two send-off games on home soil, they defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 in Edmonton, then drew Republic of Ireland 1-1 in Montreal.
In fact, the team has just one loss since the start of 2025, from a total of 16 games. But they also enter the FIFA World Cup with some injury concerns.
Marsch has had to make a change to the 26-man World Cup roster he originally named. Midfielder Marcelo Flores suffered a major knee injury playing for his club team, and has been replaced by Jayden Nelson.
Defender Moïse Bombito is also working his way back from a serious leg injury. Marsch had until 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday to make any changes to the roster, but it appears Bombito remains with the squad.
If Bombito can’t play Friday, his starting spot will go to 20-year-old Luc de Fougerolles. Despite his youth, he has Marsch’s backing.
“Luc has delivered for us, always,” said Marsch after a training session on Monday. “He’s a really smart player. For a young guy, he plays experienced. He’ll be ready.”
There are other nagging injuries within the team, most notably for captain Alphonso Davies. He’s been ruled out for the opener against Bosnia & Herzegovina, but could play a part later in the tournament.
Bosnia & Herzegovina (June 12)
The opening match, to be played at Toronto Stadium, will have massive ramifications in Group B. It will also put the team under an unprecedented microscope—but they’re ready.
“This group is very calm,” says defender Alistair Johnston. “It’s really about keeping that level-headed state, which we’ve done a really good job at.”
While Canada faces the home-team pressure, the Bosnian team knows that few expected them to get this far. They shockingly defeated No. 12-ranked Italy in an all-or-nothing qualification match in March to reach the World Cup.
This is the nation’s second FIFA World Cup appearance, after debuting at Brazil 2014. Two players remain from that squad, including 40-year-old team captain Edin Džeko. He leads his nation with 73 goals in 148 lifetime appearances.
“Bosnia scores a lot from crosses and from set pieces,” observed Marsch. “They’re very big, so we know on set pieces they’re very dangerous.”
Amidst the excitement of playing in Canada’s first World Cup game at home, staying focused will be key and the margin for error will be incredibly slim.
Qatar (June 18)
Canada then heads west to Vancouver to set up shop for the first of two matches at BC Place. The first opponent is Qatar, who hosted the last FIFA World Cup, four years ago.
The Persian Gulf nation has invested heavily in the sport in the last 15 years, spurred by those hosting duties. They automatically qualified as hosts in 2022, but lost all three group-stage games. Like Canada, Qatar is seeking a first-ever win at the FIFA World Cup.
This time out, they reached the big tournament through the qualification process. A 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates in October 2025 clinched their place.
But that’s one of just two wins for the team in 13 matches since the start of 2025. Despite boasting highly experienced players such as Almoez Ali and captain Hassan Al-Haydos, Qatar is not expected to make much noise in this tournament.
If Canada hopes to advance to the Round of 32, this one is a de facto must-win.
Switzerland (June 24)
There’s a decent chance that this showdown at BC Place will determine which team wins Group B.
It will likely be Canada’s toughest test, against a nation that’s reached the knockout stage in four of the last five FIFA World Cups. Switzerland will be led by Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez, who have nearly 300 national-team appearances between them.
But even if they’ll be underdogs on paper, the Canadian team isn’t approaching the game that way.
“We’re looking at all three of these games as great opportunities for us to win,” said Johnston. “We want to get out of this group; and to top it, even better.”
The Swiss team knows what it takes to advance, and may enter the match needing just a draw to top Group B. Will Canada throw everything at the wall in an attempt to claim the win? It’s possible, based on the potential reward.
The knockout stage?
The top two teams in Group B advance to the Round of 32. The third-place finisher could also advance, depending on how things shape up in the tournament’s other 11 groups.
There’s a strong incentive to finishing first. The winner of Group B stays in Vancouver to play their Round of 32 match on July 2 against a third-place finisher from another group.
READ: How accessibility and alignment turned Canada into a soccer power
And the winner of that match plays another game in Vancouver, a Round of 16 clash on July 7. So yes, if everything goes Canada’s way, the team could end up playing five World Cup matches in front of home crowds.
Meanwhile, the second-place finisher in Group B travels to Los Angeles for their Round of 32 match on June 28. That will be against the runner-up in Group A, which includes Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, and Czechia.
And if Canada finishes third in Group B? Well, the possibilities are so numerous that we’re best not crossing that bridge unless it comes.
For now, Team Canada—and its supporters—must just take things one match at a time.
