What Time Is 🇨🇦 Canada Playing?

This is Canada's moment. As one of three co-hosts, they'll play their group games in Toronto and Vancouver in front of home crowds that have been waiting a long time for this — Canada's last World Cup appearance was 1986, forty years ago. The squad Alphonso Davies leads into this tournament is a different proposition entirely from anything Canada has put out before. Davies, arguably the best left-back on the planet right now, is supported by Jonathan David — one of the most prolific strikers in Europe over the past three seasons. Add in Tajon Buchanan, Ismaël Koné, and a backline built on MLS and European experience, and this is a squad with genuine quality at every level. Playing at home, in front of crowds that have waited a generation for this, there is no ceiling on what's possible.

The draw could not have been kinder. Group B — Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, and Bosnia & Herzegovina — is the easiest group at the entire tournament. Switzerland are the highest-ranked team in the group at 19th in the world. Qatar and Bosnia are respectful opposition but not the kind of sides that should trouble a co-host with home advantage. If Canada don't make it out of this group, it would be a genuine shock.

I think Canada and Switzerland both advance comfortably, and I give Canada a real chance of topping the group. The key match is Canada vs Switzerland — whoever wins that sets the tone for everything else. Qatar showed in 2022 that host nations can compete but they were also eliminated in the group stage — only the second host nation ever to suffer that fate after South Africa in 2010 — and Bosnia at 65th in the world are the weakest side here by some distance.

My prediction: Canada first, Switzerland second. The Round of 32 should be the floor for this team — the real question is how far they can go after that.