Alphonso Davies And Canada Win World Cup Admirers Despite Losing Twice

Canada are out of the World Cup after defeats at the hands of Croatia and Belgium in their opening games, but though they won’t feel like doing so at the moment, they can take plenty of positives from their display.

Canada are 41st in FIFA’s world rankings and also, according to this list, the fourth best side in Concacaf behind Mexico, the United States, and Costa Rica.

Watching them play can suggest otherwise, as does their record in World Cup qualifying.

They finished top of the eight-team Concacaf third round qualifying table, defeating Mexico and the United States at home and drawing away games against both the region’s usual heavyweights.

If this particular league ranking was anything to go by—and after all, World Cup qualification is decided by the top teams in the region playing against each other—then Canada were the best team in the region going into the World Cup.

Few would have given them a chance against Belgium in their opening game of the group stage—few except Canada supporters, and maybe even Belgium followers who knew their team was not all that, despite its star names.

John Herdman’s side flew out of the traps, though, and had the chance take the lead from the penalty spot after an unfortunate hand ball by Yannick Carrasco. Star man Aphonso Davies stepped up to take the kick, but a weak effort was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Canada looked by far the better team and were unlucky to not be handed at least one other penalty during a period of dominance.

Soccer being soccer, not only did the dominance not pay off on the scoreboard, but Canada actually went in behind at half time after a smash-and-grab Michy Batshuayi goal for Belgium.

The score was to remain that way for the rest of the game. An opening game defeat despite doing more than enough to win. A sense of pride and having done themselves proud. But ultimately nothing on the scoresheet.

And so, Canada went into their second group game against Croatia needing to avoid defeat to remain in with a chance of qualifying for the next round.

This time they scored straight away. Davies nodded home Tajon Buchanan’s cross to score the first goal at a World Cup finals by the men’s team.

It looked like Canada had found out how to convert the chances created in the first game into goals in the second, but the Croatian midfield of Mateo Kovačić and Marcelo Brozović, supported by the not-too-shabby Luka Modrić, soon helped Croatia back into it, and ultimately saw them take the lead through goals from Andrej Kramarić and Marko Livaja.

Further goals from Kramarić and Lovro Majer emphatically ended Canada’s hopes of progressing past the group stage and their final game at this World Cup will now be against Morocco on Thursday.

It could be said that Herdman’s side will build on this ahead of co-hosting the World Cup in 2026, but Canada did not want to use this tournament as merely an experience, or to make up the numbers.

They wanted to give a good account of themselves. They wanted to progress. And given the chances they missed in the Belgium game, and the potential penalties they weren’t awarded, they will feel they might have been able to do so.

Converting chances is a big part of tournament football, though, and Canada could not do it when they had an ageing Belgium team on the ropes.

Saying they will learn from these defeats, from this experience, and come back stronger with a refreshed roster in 2026 will be no comfort to these Canadians at this moment in time, but that does not mean it is not true.

Davies has looked like a genuine star in Qatar, while Buchanan has also raised some eyebrows. Canada hope there is more quality coming up behind these players ahead of 2026 when they could be even stronger.

The World now knows how good a soccer nation Canada potentially is. What’s more, Canada themselves now know it too, and they also know some areas in which they need to improve.

A win against Morocco in the final game will not be easy, so that would still be a statement if they can pull it off, even though they can’t progress.

This Canada team already made history by taking their country to a first World Cup finals appearance since their only other one in 1986. They made even more history with a first-ever goal once there, but there was not to be a first World Cup win at a time when it most counted.