The Canadian men’s national team will play for the CONCACAF Gold Cup starting on Tuesday.
It is another chance to win a trophy after they finished third in the CONCACAF Nations League in March. Canada’s last trophy came in 2000. That year they won the Gold Cup with the likes of Craig Forrest, Jason de Vos, Martin Nash and a 21-year-old Dwayne De Rosario on their roster.
Now it is time for Canada’s new generation to win it. In Group B, they face Honduras, Curacao and El Salvador. The game against Honduras is on Tuesday at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium.
With the 2026 World Cup looming, the Gold Cup serves as a mini dress rehearsal for Jesse Marsch’s squad.
Let’s look at five storylines for Canada heading into the tournament.
#1: Youth and dual nationals
Since he took over in the spring of 2024, Marsch has been very adamant about calling up Canadian youth players and convincing dual nationals to commit to Canada.
Canada has two dual nationals among their forwards. Bournemouth’s Daniel Jebbison switched allegiances from England to Canada in the winter and Union SG’s Promise David switched from Nigeria. David is coming off a breakout season in Belgium as he scored 19 goals and tallied four assists in 34 league matches and helped Union SG win their first league title in 90 years. David scored the two title-clinching goals off the bench on the final day. Both got minutes in the Canadian Shield tournament, and David scored his first goal for Canada against Ukraine.
Jebbison is coming off a year where he was loaned to Watford in the English Championship but was recalled by Bournemouth in January. He did score one goal and that was against Manchester City in May. Jebbison brings good pace and athleticism, while David brings strength, size, and aerial ability. Both of them will be crucial for Canada’s attack and have a chance to show Canadian soccer fans what they are made of in the Gold Cup.
CF Montreal’s Nathan Saliba is another young talent. Despite struggling in Montreal (though that can be said about the entire CF Montreal team) Marsch gave the 21-year-old the call for the Gold Cup. He provides depth in the midfield behind Stephen Eustaquio, Ismael Kone and Jonathan Osorio. Saliba’s impressed in the Canadian Shield games against Ukraine and Côte d’Ivoire with his passing and defensive work and fans should expect him to get some minutes in the Gold Cup.
The Canadians also have some youth in their backline. Luc de Fougerolles, also a dual national as he was born in England to a Canadian father, also impressed in the Canadian Shield games. The 19-year-old Fulham youth product was a calm and steady presence in the back, especially with his ball progression.
There is also Jamie Knight-Lebel. The 20-year-old spent 2024-25 on loan with League Two club Crewe Alexandra from Championship side Bristol City. He got a few minutes in Canada’s win over Ukraine.
Then there is Niko Sigur. Since switching allegiances from Croatia to Canada, he has impressed with his versatility as a right-back and a midfielder.
#2: Centre-back partners for Derek Cornelius
Speaking of centre-backs, Canada is missing one of their most important ones for the Gold Cup. The speedy Moise Bombito is dealing with a wrist injury that required surgery.
One question is who Derek Cornelius’ partner would be. In the Canadian Shield, Joel Waterman, de Fougerolles and Knight-Lebel got minutes.
Canada also has Kamal Miller. Bombito has taken him over in the depth chart. The Gold Cup is a great opportunity for the Portland Timbers centre-back to prove he still belongs with Canada.
It is also a big opportunity for Waterman to prove he can start for Canada. The CF Montreal centre-back is a regular name for call-ups. However, he has only played seven matches as he is mostly on the bench. Waterman is 29 and Miller is 28. Both are experienced with Canada and can provide veteran leadership for Knight-Lebel and de Fougerolles.
Can any of these centre-backs step up and help Cornelius at the back? They certainly have the capabilities to.
#3: Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan lead the attack
Tajon Buchanan put on a show in the Canadian Shield game against Ukraine with two assists and a goal. It’s been nearly a year since he missed the Copa America with a horrific leg injury.
Now the Brampton native has a chance to be a difference-maker in the Gold Cup. His pace and agility wowed fans in Toronto and he’ll need to do the same in the group stage, and hopefully, all the way to the final in Houston’s NRG Stadium.
Jonathan David has been one of Europe’s in-form strikers. The “ice man” deciding to take part in the Gold Cup is huge. He gives Canada a huge boost up front. With many top players missing the Gold Cup, David is arguably the best player in the tournament and he can be Canada’s biggest difference maker.
Many options will help David and Buchanan in the attack. As mentioned, Promise David and Jebbison provide striker depth. Cyle Larin also has the chance to get back into form as the past year has been rough for him, for club and country.
Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi has been on the rise since getting first called up in Marsch’s first two games at the helm in 2024. Those were friendlies against Netherlands and France. His eight goals with Minnesota are tied for tenth in MLS.
There is speed on the wings for Canada. Joining Buchanan are Nashville SC’s Jacob Shaffelburg and Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson of the Vancouver Whitecaps. The three of them provide speed, agility and tenacity, which are vital in Marsch’s system that provides pressing and transitions.
One of Canada’s issues over the past couple of years is the final third. With the talent and depth in their attack for the Gold Cup, there is no reason why they can score a bunch of goals.
#4: The goalkeeping battle
Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair will use the Gold Cup to make their cases for being Canada’s starter in the World Cup.
Both are capable starters but only one can start. St. Clair and Crépeau split duties in the Canadian Shield and there are a lot of cases for either of them starting in the Gold Cup.
For St. Clair, it is simply because he is on form and one of, if not, the best goalkeeper in MLS. St.Clair is tied for the MLS lead in clean sheets with Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka.
For Crépeau, the case is because he has more experience with Canada as he was very solid in the Copa America. Sure, he has conceded 11 goals in seven appearances with the Portland Timbers this season, but he is still a solid goalkeeper.
It will be interesting who starts against Honduras. Both will likely start at least one game in the group stage but who will be the man between the pipes in the knockout round? Both Crépeau and St.Clair deserve to be Canada’s number one and it is a nice headache to have.
#5: The Gold Cup is a must-win, but can Canada win?
Plain and simple, anything less than winning the Gold Cup is a failure. This Canadian team, despite missing Bombito and Alphonso Davies still has talent. The Davids, Buchanan, St. Clair, Crépeau, Cornelius, Eustaquio and Alistair Johnston still make up a good spine for Canada.
This is a team that has a mix of youth and experience and many players have been playing together for several years. This Gold Cup is a great opportunity to captivate fans even more before the World Cup.
Canada is one of the favourites. But, you could argue that they are the favourite. The US has struggled under Mauricio Pochettino and has lost five straight heading into the Gold Cup. Their last game was a 4-0 loss to Switzerland on Tuesday. Mexico is a team that is aging but still solid. They won the CONCACAF Nations League in the spring but have lost their last two games to Switzerland and Turkey.
So there is no reason to believe Canada can lift the Gold Cup in Houston on July 6. Marsch and the squad need to take what has worked for them over the past year and take it to another level. That includes pressing, transitions, defensive structure and being more clinical.
So, can Canada win the Gold Cup? It’s possible, but they need to make it happen.
