06\/18\/26 22:32Opinion: Canada is showing it deserves its spot in the World Cup<\/p>\n
\u2013 Cathal Kelly<\/p>\n
World Cups tend to advantage two types of teams. First, traditional powers who feel they can go three-quarter speed until near the end, hoarding their resources for the big fights. Then there are the outsiders who put their foot on the floor from the get-go. Every once in a while, one of those sneaks nearly to the end. Morocco in 2022 and South Korea in 2002 are recent examples. Korea also had the advantage of playing at home.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re starting to get the feeling that one of the hosts will make that sort of run. So far, all three have looked better than their most reasonable projections, but none have come further, faster than Canada.<\/p>\n
Read the full column here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 22:18One guy in handcuffs on Granville, but even he was in good spirits<\/p>\n \u2013 Jesse Winter<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Vancouver police speak to a man in handcuffs as Canada fans on Granville Street celebrate their team\u2019s victory over Qatar at the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver on June 18, 2026.Jesse Winter\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n As fans packed Granville Street after Canada\u2019s blowout win, some people were apparently partying harder than others. Police had one man in handcuffs, though I could hear him trading jokes with some of the officers.<\/p>\n The street was absolutely packed when I cruised through on my way back to the newsroom: people stood shoulder to shoulder, and it took me almost half an hour to walk a single block.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Thousands of soccer fans flood Granville Street in downtown Vancouver on June 18, 2026, celebrating the Canadian men\u2019s national team\u2019s historic 6\u20130 World Cup victory over Qatar at nearby BC Place.JUSTINE BEAULIEU-POUDRIER\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Speaking of walking, after 27,070 steps today (23.7 kilometres), I am calling it an evening! Thanks for following along!<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 22:12Fan in opposition jersey celebrates big win for Canada<\/p>\n \u2013 Mike Hager<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Ahmed Najm is clad in the opposition jersey, but celebrates the big win for Canada.Mike Hager\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Like many of the crazed young men at the epicentre of Vancouver\u2019s celebration, Ahmed Najm couldn\u2019t stop jumping on his friend\u2019s shoulders to incite the tightly-wound crowd with chants and even slapping a drum he brought to the centre of the intersection of Granville and Smithe streets.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old who immigrated to Metro Vancouver from Syria five years ago, was, however, the only one clad in the opposition jersey.<\/p>\n Fresh from watching his Arabic brethren get walloped in person in the stadium, Mr. Najm said he and his friend wanted to come out and celebrate the big win for their adopted country.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were surprised by the score,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 21:40Vancouver gets thumbs up from players<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Fans of Team Canada celebrate the team’s 6-0 victory.Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Team Canada players gave Vancouver and BC Place a big thumbs up after their home game in the host city, saying the crowd\u2019s support helped them make history and recalibrate after a distressing injury. <\/p>\n \u201cI just want to thank everybody from Vancouver and from Canada overall, but I think everybody from Vancouver especially, because it\u2019s such a beautiful stadium,\u201d said Stefan Eust\u00e1quio after the match. \u201cI really feel that we\u2019re a soccer country.\u201d<\/p>\n But it\u2019s impossible for the team to compare Vancouver and Toronto like apples to apples, however. <\/p>\n \u201cWe gave them a little more to cheer for today,\u201d Alistair Johnston told reporters with a laugh. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 21:28Today\u2019s victory was a mixed bag for Team Canada veteran<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Tonight\u2019s win was one to be proud of, said Canadian men\u2019s team veteran Stephen Eust\u00e1quio, even though he feels a bit \u201cempty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew that the goal differential was very important for us and we pushed the game as much as we could,\u201d he said. \u201cWe had good opportunities, and I think the fact that we tried to push the game shows that we respect the Qatari players.\u201d<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 21:20Alistair Johnston on teammate Kon\u00e9\u2019s injury: \u2018It\u2019s a bittersweet night\u2019<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Alistair Johnston and players of Canada applaud fans after the team’s 6-0 victory.Fran Santiago\/Getty Images<\/p>\n A 6-0 blowout didn\u2019t feel quite so good as it usually would tonight, Alistair Johnston said. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just unfortunate, it\u2019s a bittersweet night,\u201d the defender told reporters after the match. <\/p>\n While he said he hoped Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 wasn\u2019t thinking too much in the hospital, the whole team\u2019s thoughts are with him. <\/p>\n \u201cI know how much he loves the game,\u201d Johnson said. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 21:10Fan compares victory celebration to Vancouver Olympics<\/p>\n \u2013 Mike Hager<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Whistle from Jodi Bartlett, Moose Jaw, Sask., is so deafening it almost eclipsed the thousands screaming about the victory on Granville Street.The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n The whistle Jodi Bartlett says she learned growing up in Moose Jaw, Sask., is so deafening it almost eclipsed the thousands screaming about the victory on Granville Street. <\/p>\n The 64-year-old had been watching the match with her husband at a downtown bar, then decided to come celebrate with the people on the street, most of whom are in their teens and 20s. <\/p>\n With her Canadian flag necklace, red shirt and festive antennas, or \u201cdiddlyboppers\u201d as the suburban Vancouver resident calls them, she helped spread the cheer she can only liken to the last time the city hosted a party this joyous.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes us right back to the 2010 Olympics. This is the most awesome vibe,\u201d she said before putting her fingers to her mouth for another screeching whistle.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 21:04Explicit chant ensues in Granville Street\u2019s post-game cacophony<\/p>\n \u2013 Mike Hager<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Soccer fan Antony Muthusi, 21, joins thousands of people celebrating on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver.JUSTINE BEAULIEU-POUDRIER<\/p>\n As madness erupted on Vancouver\u2019s packed Granville Street strip following Team Canada\u2019s momentous win, a crowd of shirtless and well-lubricated young men began an explicit chant against Qatar.<\/p>\n Antony Muthusi, a 21-year-old who immigrated from Kenya to a Vancouver suburb with his family four years ago, saw this indignity and intervened to silence the rowdy crowd, getting them to instead wave their arms at the Canadian flag he had laid on the street.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was disrespectful because they came out and played the game,\u201d he said, adding that Canada has given him everything. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:55Jonathan David says he was thinking about Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 when he achieved hat trick<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Jonathan David scores his third goal, and the team’s sixth, past Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada.Kaleb Tatum\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n Jonathan David was proud but subdued after his hat trick in Canada\u2019s dominating victory. <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s historical, obviously.\u2029It\u2019s our first win ever in the World Cup,\u201d he told reporters post-game. \u201cAnd to do it in this fashion, I think was very good.\u201d<\/p>\n But the striker said after Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 was stretchered off with a serious injury early in the second half, the hat trick was the last thing on his mind. <\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking about the match or the goals, I was thinking about him,\u201d he said in French. <\/p>\n The team\u2019s three goals after losing Kon\u00e9 were a testament to the fact \u201che\u2019s someone that we love a lot,\u201d David said. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a difficult moment, obviously, but we have to stay strong for him and do it for him.\u201d<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:36Vancouver\u2019s Fan Festival attendees are now ready for Mexico vs. South Korea<\/p>\n \u2013 Marsha Lederman <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada fans celebrate at the FIFA Fan Festival as their team scores for a fifth time against Qatar.Jesse Winter\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n If you couldn\u2019t be at that absolute blowout game in person, a good Plan B for locals was the official FIFA Fan Festival on the eastern edge of Vancouver at the PNE grounds. <\/p>\n The good-natured crowd went wild on repeat \u2013 for each of the six goals, for Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9\u2019s wave to the crowd, for the final whistle. (There were also rounds of boos for each hydration break.) <\/p>\n Up next: Mexico vs. South Korea. Lots of fans in Mexican jerseys, flags and sombreros are out here in the sunshine. Good vibes all around.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:20Worries about Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9\u2019s injury cast cloud over victory<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Players of Canada celebrate the team’s 6-0 victory.Fran Santiago\/Getty Images<\/p>\n If you didn\u2019t know the Canadian men just made history, their celebrations wouldn\u2019t give you a hint.<\/p>\n The side exchanged fist-bumps and hugs, but it was far from emphatic as worries about teammate Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 cast a cloud over the breakthrough. <\/p>\n Afterwards, the team walked around the field, waving to fans, holding up Kon\u00e9\u2019s No. 8 jersey and basking in the glow of a hometown victory.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:17A historic World Cup win for Team Canada<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada coach Jesse Marsch signals six as he celebrates after the match.Agustin Marcarian\/Reuters<\/p>\n With all due respect to former baseball legend Bobby Thomson, Canada\u2019s win may be the scoreline heard around the world. <\/p>\n According to TSN play-by-play commentator Luke Wileman, with its 6-0 victory on Thursday, Canada becomes the first team outside of either Europe or South America to score five or more goals in a World Cup match. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:15It was a huge win, but Team Canada has won bigger (on smaller stages) <\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canadian soccer fans celebrate winning the game against Qatar at Jack Poole Plaza in Vancouver.Katherine KY Cheng\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s 6-0 win over Qatar at the World Cup was comprehensive, but not a record for the Canadian men.<\/p>\n Their record goals total came in a 11-0 win over the Cayman Islands in March 2021 in a World Cup qualifier. At the time, Canada was ranked 73rd in the world, 120 places above the Caymans. <\/p>\n Canada followed that win up with a 7-0 victory over Aruba in another World Cup qualifier in June 2021.<\/p>\n Before that, the Canadian men\u2019s previous scoring record was 8-0 over the U.S. Virgin Islands in September 2018 in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying play. The previous high in World Cup qualifying was a 7-0 victory in St. Lucia in October 2011.<\/p>\n Canada last scored a half-dozen goals in a 6-0 win over Guatemala at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on June 17, 2025.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:13Soccer hero Christine Sinclair took in Team Canada victory at BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n The greatest of all time, Christine Sinclair, was in the house for the Canadian men\u2019s first World Cup win. Perhaps the all-time leading international goal-scorer, raised in nearby Burnaby, B.C., was their good luck charm.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s game was not Canada\u2019s first World Cup win, as Sinclair\u2019s presence reminds us. The Canadian women\u2019s team has won nine games at the women\u2019s World Cup, including two on home-soil when Canada hosted in 2015.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:09Victory at last: Canada steamrolls Qatar 6-0 for historic World Cup win<\/p>\n \u2013 David Ebner<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada players and coaches in a team huddle after the match.Lee Smith\/Reuters<\/p>\n It took four decades across three World Cups but Canada on Thursday in Vancouver \u2013 at long last \u2013 won its first game on soccer\u2019s premier stage, a rousing rout of a victory, 6-0, against Qatar.<\/p>\n The team, which had been stuck in a long goal scoring slump, delivered a deluge. Striker Jonathan David, Canada\u2019s all-time scorer who hadn\u2019t put a ball in the net from open play for his country since last September, banged in three goals. He also helped make the opening strike from Cyle Larin happen.<\/p>\n More than 52,000 fans at a soldout BC Place, almost all in Canadian red, saluted the team with a standing ovation at halftime.<\/p>\n The win means Canada keeps pace with Group B favourite Switzerland, which rolled over Bosnia-Herzegovina, 4-1, earlier on Thursday in Los Angeles. Canada\u2019s big showdown with the Swiss, which will determine the winner of Group B, happens next Wednesday, June 24, here in Vancouver.<\/p>\n Read the full story here.<\/a><\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:08Tension on the pitch after final whistle<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Players, team staffs argue after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Qatar.Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n A physical altercation broke out amid a swarm of players and staff from both teams moments after the final whistle blew.<\/p>\n Pushes and shoves were exchanged, and officials and some staff stepped in to forcibly separate the handful of offending parties. <\/p>\n From my vantage point, I couldn\u2019t clearly identify who threw the first shove or who got caught up before the melee dispersed.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada fan Jackson Willis celebrates as his team leads Qatar 5-0 at the FIFA World Cup.Jesse Winter\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:02Jonathan David\u2019s in the race for the Golden Boot<\/p>\n \u2013 Sarah Wallace<\/p>\n Jonathan David\u2019s hat trick puts him tied for the Golden Boot lead \u2013 awarded to the player who scores the most goals in a single World Cup tournament \u2013 with none other than Argentina\u2019s Lionel Messi.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 20:00Jonathan David joins Lionel Messi with hat trick in 2026 World Cup <\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Jonathan David scores their sixth goal to complete his hat-trick.Lee Smith\/Reuters<\/p>\n Jonathan David wraps up his hat trick with a goal in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, joining Lionel Messi as the two men with three-goal hauls to their name at this World Cup, to make it 6-0 for Canada.<\/p>\n Nathan Saliba fired a shot from outside the area, but it ended up bouncing in front of David, and he turned it into the net for his third career hat trick for Canada, and his 42nd goal for the program.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:55Canada\u2019s lead sets team up for biggest win in history for a CONCACAF team at the World Cup <\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n If the score holds, the 5-0 scoreline will be the biggest win for a CONCACAF team at the World Cup, surpassing the 4-0 edge that Mexico beat El Salvador at the 1970 tournament.<\/p>\n With so many points in the bag, Jesse Marsch decides to give more legs a rest, withdrawing Tajon Buchanan in the 83rd minute in favour of defender Niko Sigur, a Burnaby, B.C., native who was a ball boy for a Canada match at BC Place just seven years ago.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:49There\u2019s nothing to be nervous about<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n With less than nine minutes (plus stoppage time) left, the Canadian men are closing in on their first World Cup win like a cat playing with a mouse before it eats it.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve completely hemmed in Qatar\u2019s remaining nine players, passing in circles around them in their own end. There\u2019s nothing to be nervous about, and you can feel the crowd just counting down until that final whistle blows.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:47Canada isn\u2019t letting up as fans at BC Place go berserk<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n So I guess we got our answer \u2013 no, Canada isn\u2019t going to let up.<\/p>\n The stadium is back to opening-goal levels of berserk after Jacob Shaffelburg\u2019s shot rebounded off a Qatari defender and into the back of the net. While it\u2019ll go on the scoresheet as an own-goal, the crowd\u2019s celebrations gave Shaffelburg his due and more.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:42Team Canada scores fifth goal as lead continues to grow<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Jacob Shaffelburg celebrates their fifth goal, an own goal scored by Qatar’s Mohamed Manai.Lee Smith\/Reuters<\/p>\n With one eye towards next Wednesday\u2019s Group B decider against Switzerland, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has withdrawn Luc de Fougerolles, who was on a yellow card from Friday\u2019s opener, and not yet 100 per cent following a recent injury.<\/p>\n In their place, Canada brings on Jacob Shaffelburg and Tani Oluwaseyi.<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for the substitutes to make their impact felt, with Shaffelburg, who was injured himself not too long ago, firing a shot in the 75th minute that was turned into the net by Qatar defender Mohamed Naceur Almanai.<\/p>\n The score is 5-0 for Canada.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:36\u2018The wave\u2019 heals BC Place crowd anxious about Kon\u00e9\u2019s leg injury<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada fans in the stands.ANNE-MARIE SORVIN\/Reuters<\/p>\n Nathan Saliba\u2019s goal off the bench has jump-started the crowd, breathing some life back into a BC Place rightfully anxious about Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9. <\/p>\n Members of Voyageurs\u2019 fan club in the audience started \u201cthe wave,\u201d and I counted three full circles around the stadium before it petered out.<\/p>\n Now the question is whether Canada \u2013 or its fans \u2013 lets up on the Qatari side, who are four goals and two players down.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:30Canada scores four<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Minutes after Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 left the field on a stretcher with a suspected broken leg, his replacement, Nathan Saliba, hammered home a free kick off the inside of the post to make it 4-0 for Canada in the 64th minute.<\/p>\n Saliba, a former teammate of Kone at CF Montreal, immediately ran to the bench to grab Kon\u00e9\u2019s No. 8 Canada jersey, holding it up in tribute to his fallen comrade.<\/p>\n If Canada can make this scoreline hold, it will go into the final group game against Switzerland requiring only a draw to win Group B and stay in Vancouver at least through the round of 32.<\/p>\n According to TSN, Canada Soccer has announced that Kon\u00e9\u2019s leg has been stabilized and he is on his way to a local hospital.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:29Vibes take a turn after Kon\u00e9\u2019s injury<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 waves to the crowd as he receives oxygen as he is sent off field after sustaining an injury.Agustin Marcarian\/Reuters<\/p>\n The energy in BC Place has turned after Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 appeared to suffer a serious injury after a foul by Qatar\u2019s Assim Madibo.<\/p>\n The rising star midfielder saluted supporters as he was stretchered off the field, raising a hand to the stands and then two together in a praying motion pointed towards the sky. Head coach Jesse Marsch hugged him as medical staff escorted him down the tunnel to applause from the Canadian side.<\/p>\n During the several minutes medical staff worked on Kone on the field, things on the sidelines got heated. As the refs awarded Madibo a red card, staff, players and substitutes from both sides swarmed together on the sideline and appeared to exchange words.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:28Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 carried off field on stretcher as Qatar issued another red card<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Resuming the second half with the same spirit they ended the first half, away from the scoreboard, Canada has suffered a significant setback \u2013 both for this game and the rest of the tournament \u2013 as midfielder Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 appeared to suffer a major leg injury after a tackle.<\/p>\n Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo received a red card after a VAR review for the challenge, with Kone carried off the field on a stretcher. Audio was picked up of someone on the pitch saying \u201chis leg is broken,\u201d and the other Canadian players were irate at what transpired. <\/p>\n Kone was sitting up and waving at fans as he was carted into the stadium\u2019s lower bowl, with Nathan Saliba being subbed on to take his place in the 57th minute.<\/p>\n It remains to see how the shock will affect the team over the final half hour. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:23Star defender Moise Bombito joins the match, but midfielder Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 out on injury<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9, center, is carried off of the field after receiving medical attention.Abbie Parr\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n Star defender Moise Bombito has replaced Derek Cornelius to start the second half for Canada. There had been talk the centre back might not have been healthy enough to play in the World Cup, having looked less than his normal self in a friendly against Uzbekistan in Edmonton earlier this month.<\/p>\n Bombito suffered a fractured left tibia playing for Nice in a 2-2 draw at Monaco in French Ligue 1 action last October. That injury followed a four-month absence after wrist surgery and a tibia stress fracture.<\/p>\n Athletic and pacey, Bombito helps make up for a lot of mistakes in front of him.<\/p>\n However, the good news of Bombito\u2019s return has been tempered by what looks like a serious injury to midfielder Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9, which prompted a halt in the game. Kone, a key part of the Canadian midfield, has been taken off on a stretcher. Sitting up while taken away on a cart, he waved to the fans.<\/p>\n The injury was caused by a challenge by Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo, who has been red-carded. Qatar is down to nine men.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:18Three\u2019s not enough for the crowd at Fan Fest<\/p>\n \u2013 Jesse Winter<\/p>\n At the FIFA Fan Festival\u2019s amphitheatre, the crowd erupted in cheers with water and drinks flying everywhere. After Canada scored a third time, the crowd started cheering \u201cOne more goal! One more goal!\u201d<\/p>\n Pressed against the barricades at the front of the amphitheatre were 10-year-old Kass Albrecht and his seven-year-old sister Ada, flanked by their dad Sebastian and mom Sophie Harrhy.<\/p>\n At first, Ada wasn\u2019t sure what to make of the whole scene, but she quickly got into the festival atmosphere.<\/p>\n All four burst into screams when Canada scored for a third time before the half.<\/p>\n Kass grinned widely when asked about the early score. \u201cIt\u2019s awesome!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sebastian, who grew up in Vancouver, said it was a special occasion for the whole family to see Canada go from having never scored a goal in a World Cup to scoring \u201ca whole bunch of them.\u201d He was confident the game would go their way in the end.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be amazing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:12Canada\u2019s black jersey could appear funereal to their opponents, team joked earlier this year<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Jonathan David #10 of Canada celebrates with teammates after Tajon Buchanan #17 and Cyle Larin #9 scoring his team’s second goal.Fran Santiago\/Getty Images<\/p>\n They say if you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk. <\/p>\n Through 45 minutes, Cyle Larin and the Canadian men are doing exactly that. <\/p>\n After being dropped for the opener and then scoring off the bench last Friday, Larin said that he\u2019s shown that when he plays, he scores. He backed that up once again Thursday, putting Canada on its way in the 16th minute.<\/p>\n Similarly, at the team\u2019s jersey launch back in March, Canada\u2019s players said they like the black, cracked ice jerseys, because they feel invincible. <\/p>\n \u201cWe joked it used to be for the other team\u2019s funeral whenever you put this jersey on,\u201d Richie Laryea said at the time. \u201cSo it\u2019s gonna be the same thing this time around.\u201d<\/p>\n Halfway to a first-ever men\u2019s World Cup victory, everyone is looking good in one of the team\u2019s most complete performances in the two-plus years under head coach Jesse Marsch.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:10Second half begins<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n There are now only 45 minutes (plus stoppage time) standing between the Canadian men\u2019s team and their first-ever World Cup win. And from how they looked in the first half, the home team isn\u2019t done scoring yet.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:08The grass couldn\u2019t be greener at BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Moira Wyton\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n I\u2019m onto my second free water bottle and it looks like the grass is thirsty, too.<\/p>\n FIFA spent more than $5-million dollars to grow pitch-perfect grass for all 16 World Cup stadiums, and the field for BC Place was grown by a local sod company just down the highway in the Fraser Valley.<\/p>\n My colleague Andrea Woo did a deep dive into the science behind the grass<\/a> and \u2013 contrary to misinformation online \u2013 yes, the balls bounce on it<\/a>.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:043-0 for Canada over Qatar<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n It\u2019s 3-0 for Canada over Qatar at the half and the score could be even more lopsided, with two goal-line clearances denying the Canadians. Canada has outshot Qatar 15-2 (8-0 in shots on target) in a game that has been played deep in the Qatari half.<\/p>\n Goals by Cyle Larin in the 16th minute and two by Jonathan David, in the 29th and in stoppage time. Qatar, meanwhile, is down to 10 men and likely dreading the next 45 minutes.<\/p>\n Canada has completed 212 of 246 passes compared to 99 of 136 for Qatar.<\/p>\n Utter domination.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:02Could it be a hat trick for Jonathan David?<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Jonathan David #10 of Canada celebrates scoring his team’s third goal.Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Jonathan David just kept going in stoppage time, and it\u2019s looking like a blood bath for Qatar at half.<\/p>\n Canada fans are on hat trick watch for the striker, who scored his second goal of the match in the fourth minute of stoppage time.<\/p>\n If David completes the hat trick in the second half, that will be only the second of the tournament so far after Lionel Messi\u2019s three for Argentina against Algeria on Tuesday.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 19:00How does the yellow card rule work in this World Cup?<\/p>\n \u2013 Sarah Wallace <\/p>\n In soccer, even if you finish the game with only one yellow card, you\u2019re not out of the woods.<\/p>\n If a player receives another yellow card in a later World Cup match, they will be suspended for a subsequent match. Two yellow cards in the same game combine as a red card, with the player ejected for the remainder of the game.<\/p>\n But with the addition of more teams \u2013 this year\u2019s tournament is the first to have 48 squads \u2013 the yellow card accumulation rule has changed slightly. All yellows get wiped at the after the group stage and at the beginning of the quarterfinal stage.<\/p>\n If Alistair Johnston, Luc de Fougerolles and Derek Cornelius \u2013 who all hold yellows \u2013 make it through the rest of the group stage unscathed and Canada advances, they\u2019ll be rewarded with a clean slate for the round of 32.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:55And it\u2019s three for Canada! <\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Jonathan David celebrates scoring their third goal with Stephen Eustaquio.Agustin Marcarian\/Reuters<\/p>\n In first-half injury time, Alistair Johnston floats a cross to the far post, where Cyle Larin powers a header that Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada can only parry, allowing Jonathan David to react quickest to poke the ball into the net. The match becomes 3-0 for Canada.<\/p>\n Against 10 men, Canada is making its numerical advantage tell, and after Switzerland\u2019s 4-1 demolition of Bosnia-Herzegovina earlier today, Canada will know that any win by four or more clear goals will take it to the top of Group B heading into the final round-robin game.<\/p>\n The game has reached halftime. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:53Red cards up this World Cup<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Homam Ahmed\u2019s red card is the fifth issued so far at the 2026 World Cup, surpassing the total of four that were issued in 2018 and again in 2022. <\/p>\n The most at any tournament \u2013 since red and yellow cards were introduced for the 1970 World Cup \u2013 was in 2006, when a whopping 28 were issued, most famously to Zinedine Zidane for his head butt in the final.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:47Team Canada\u2019s attackers are back in business<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Qatar’s Homam Ahmed (14) and Canada’s Tajon Buchanan (17) vie for the ball.ETHAN CAIRNS\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n Jonathan David and Tajon Buchanan both had off-days against Bosnia-Herzegovina. But the two Canadian attackers are causing havoc against Qatar.<\/p>\n David made it 2-0 with a terrific shot while Buchanan was found behind the Qatar defence by a looping Ismael Kone ball, setting up a free kick from just outside the penalty box. Qatar defender Homam Ahmed was sent off as a result for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.<\/p>\n Nothing came of the ensuing free kick but soon after Qatar needed a goal-line clearance to deny Buchanan. <\/p>\n Normal service has resumed with David and Buchanan. Which is good news for Canada.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canadian soccer fans Andrew Cavalli and Jasper Dobbi erupt in celebration as Canada scores its first goal.JUSTINE BEAULIEU-POUDRIER\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:43What does a red card mean in the World Cup?<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Qatar’s Homam Ahmed leaves the pitch after being show a red card.Albert Gea\/Reuters<\/p>\n The referee has awarded a red card to Qatar\u2019s Homam Ahmed, sending the defender off the pitch and giving Canada a one-man advantage for the rest of the game.<\/p>\n A red card means a bit more at the World Cup than it does in a beer-league game: The player can\u2019t play for the rest of the game, and their teammates must finish the match down a player, and they are also automatically suspended from their team\u2019s next match.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:41Qatar issued red card<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Canada is seemingly coasting towards its first World Cup win at the men\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n Already up 2-0 after goals from Cyle Larin and Jonathan David inside the first half an hour, Qatar has found itself down to 10 men as Homam Ahmed is sent off in the 34th minute for pulling down Tajon Buchanan as he bore down unchecked on goal. By the letter of the law, Ahmed denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity, earning his dismissal and giving Canada a free kick on the very edge of the penalty area.<\/p>\n However, Canada\u2019s Ali Ahmed could only manage to put the free kick over the crossbar.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada coach Jesse Marsch celebrates after Jonathan David scores their second goal.Lee Smith\/Reuters<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:37A huge goal for Jonathan David\u2019s career<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Jonathan David, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal.Abbie Parr\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n If the cheers for Canada\u2019s first goal were ear-splitting, these ones are deafening. <\/p>\n Jonathan David, Canada\u2019s all-time top men\u2019s international scorer, has finally scored on the world\u2019s biggest stage. The relief on his face was palpable as his teammates ran to celebrate with him, and the crowd is going berserk.<\/p>\n David\u2019s wild nine-goal performance in qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup helped send Canada to the tournament for only the second time, but he was held off the scoresheet in Qatar. So this one today is long overdue \u2013 and extra sweet.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:35Canada scores again, making World Cup history for the team<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Jonathan David celebrates scoring their second goal with Tajon Buchanan.Agustin Marcarian\/Reuters<\/p>\n Less than half an hour in, and it\u2019s a dream start for Canada, as Jonathan David finds the net for his first World Cup goal.<\/p>\n With Canada already on top following Cyle Larin\u2019s 16th-minute goal, Tajon Buchanan takes a shot in the 29th minute, which rebounds high off a Qatar defender and falls invitingly for the Juventus striker. He needs no second invitation, volleying a shot low past Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada for his 40th goal for the national team to extend his men\u2019s record.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:29Prime Minister Mark Carney celebrates Team Canada\u2019s goal<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife Diana Fox Carney celebrate after Cyle Larin scores their first goal.ANNE-MARIE SORVIN\/Reuters<\/p>\n With Canada in the ascendancy, the TV cameras determine now is as good a time as any to zoom in on Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is taking in the game alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the BC Place crowd.<\/p>\n In truth, there is much for Carney to enjoy, as the match reaches the hydration break. Through the first quarter of the game Canada is at 69 per cent possession, and has had five chances to Qatar\u2019s two. Canada has also passed its opponent off the field so far, with more than double Qatar\u2019s 62 passes. <\/p>\n And for those looking for positive omens, Canada has never lost a competitive game when Cyle Larin has scored, winning 22 and drawing three of the 25 games in which he\u2019s found the back of the net. He\u2019s more than justified head coach Jesse Marsch\u2019s decision to start him over Tani Oluwaseyi.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:29The fans came out to FIFA\u2019s Fan Festival<\/p>\n \u2013 Jesse Winter<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada fans celebrate as their team scores against Qatar at the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver.Jesse Winter\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n The amphitheatre at Vancouver\u2019s FIFA Fan Festival is absolutely packed!!<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:28Set pieces could be key for Canada<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Cyle Larin scores their first goal.ANNE-MARIE SORVIN\/Reuters<\/p>\n Qatar is dropping deep into its own end on defence, setting up a wall of defenders. That\u2019s allowing the Canadian back line to advance deep into opposition territory. And it also set the scene for Canada\u2019s first goal, with Alistair Johnston\u2019s cross finding Jonathan David. His shot was saved by Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada but the rebound went straight to Larin.<\/p>\n Set pieces could be key for Canada, with Qatar forced to concede corners or foul Canadian players.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:25BC Place exploded on Canada goal<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Cyle Larin celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates.Lee Smith\/Reuters<\/p>\n BC Place just exploded as Cyle Larin opened scoring for Canada for the second game in a row. I didn\u2019t know the vibes could get any higher in here, but now it feels like the home team\u2019s fans can smell blood in the water. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:21Canada scores<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Cyle Larin celebrates scoring their first goal.Agustin Marcarian\/Reuters<\/p>\n For the second time in two matches, Cyle Larin is the goal scoring hero for Canada. This time around, Larin netted a rebound in the 16th minute to open the scoring for Canada against Qatar.<\/p>\n Larin bundled it home to become the first Canadian man to score two World Cup goals. It was also the 32nd goal in his career.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:16Team Canada\u2019s Derek Cornelius receives yellow card <\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Derek Cornelius of Canada receives a yellow card by Referee Cristian Marcelo Garay Reyes.Alex Grimm\/Getty Images<\/p>\n For the first time in the game, referee Cristian Garay has reached into his pocket nine minutes in, with centre back Derek Cornelius receiving a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Akram Afif.<\/p>\n The resulting free kick comes to nothing, but with yellow cards now having been issued to defenders Luc de Fougerolles and Alistair Johnston last Friday, Canada\u2019s back line needs to tread a little carefully to avoid a suspension \u2013 or a red card in the case of Cornelius today.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:14First shot on goal comes from Canada\u2019s Jonathan David<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield <\/p>\n After an early chance for Qatar, with Edmilson Junior volleying well wide of the Canada goal just 45 seconds into the match, it\u2019s been all Canada ever since. <\/p>\n Five minutes in, Canada has enjoyed 80 per cent of the possession, and has had six entries into the Qatar final third to the solitary one of the 2022 World Cup hosts.<\/p>\n The first real chance fell to Jonathan David in the seventh minute, registering Canada\u2019s first shot on goal with a volley from the left side of the penalty area, but Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada got down well to deny the chance.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney next to FIFA President Giovanni Infantino inside the stadium.Lee Smith\/Reuters<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:10Team Canada are wearing their away jerseys<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada players pose for a team photo before the World Cup Group B soccer match between against Qatar.Abbie Parr\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n Canada is wearing its away black \u201ccracked ice\u201d jerseys.<\/p>\n According to Canada Soccer, the Nike top is \u201cinspired by frozen landscapes \u2026 A frozen maple leaf etched like a skate blade reinforces Canada\u2019s winter\u2011sports heritage. Designed as a future classic, the away kit channels intensity and forward drive through a darker, more disruptive expression.\u201d<\/p>\n Some might just call them ugly. But they seem popular.<\/p>\n Canada coach Jesse Marsch is back in jacket and tie, looking like he just walked off the set of Reservoir Dogs.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:05A look at Qatar\u2019s starting lineup <\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Ten of Qatar\u2019s 11 starters play for domestic teams. The exception is defender Homam Ahmed, who has been loaned out to Cultural Leonesa, a second-division side in Spain, by Qatar\u2019s Al-Duhail Sports Club.<\/p>\n Qatar is coached by former Spanish international goalkeeper Julen Lopetegui, who coached Spain from 2016 to 2018, but was fired two days before the 2018 World Cup after Real Madrid announced he would be its new coach the following season.<\/p>\n He went on to win UEFA\u2019s Europa League title with Spain\u2019s Sevilla in 2020 before moving to England to take charge of Wolves and West Ham in the Premier League.<\/p>\n As a keeper, he came up through Real Madrid\u2019s academy and went on to play for Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano, among other teams.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 18:00Dueling chants at kickoff<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n General view of the kick off at the start of the match.Albert Gea\/Reuters<\/p>\n Aaaand we have kickoff. The Voyageurs and the Qatari fan section are duelling with their chants from across the stadium as the teams begin the battle on the field.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:59Canada\u2019s national anthem was not sung live<\/p>\n \u2013 Cathal Kelly<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n General view inside the stadium as the teams line up with young mascots during the national anthems.Albert Gea\/Reuters<\/p>\n Today\u2019s national anthem comparison:<\/p>\n As-Sal\u0101m al-Am\u012br\u012b – A peppy classical number played on soundtrack. Lots of tuba. Low end, they call it in the orchestra circles I run in. Sort of went on for a long time. Even the players looked confused by the end. Helpfully subtitled in Arabic. 6\/10<\/p>\n O Canada – No one showed up in Canada to sing the Canadian anthem. Played on soundtrack. What? Ryan Reynolds is busy all of a sudden? I like it when you have the crowd do the heavy lifting \u2013 which they did \u2013 but someone has to be out there holding the mic over their head. Someone famous must be vacationing out here. Get Carly Rae Jepsen on a plane. Something. 4\/10<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:58Thunderous cheers for Team Canada inside BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n A fan of Canada waves a flag before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver.Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The thunderous cheers for Team Canada just hit 149 decibels in BC Place \u2013 about the same as being right next to a jet engine taking off \u2013 according to the stadium\u2019s sound gauge. That\u2019s loud enough to cause severe, immediate damage to your hearing, my iPhone\u2019s health tracker tells me, but I couldn\u2019t exactly hear the alert. <\/p>\n If that wasn\u2019t enough to shake a tectonic plate like Erling Haaland\u2019s goals<\/a> did in Norway earlier this week, I\u2019ll be surprised.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:48Whether Davies hits the field remains a big maybe<\/p>\n \u2013 David Ebner<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Alphonso Davies walks on the pitch as his team arrives prior to the World Cup Group B soccer match against Qatar in Vancouver, British Columbia, Thursday, June 18, 2026. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)Abbie Parr\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n This week I wrote about<\/a> the mystery of Canada\u2019s most contemplated hamstring: that of Alphonso Davies. He\u2019s available to play today, Canada coach Jesse Marsch said late Wednesday, perhaps as a substitute. <\/p>\n Mark that as a maybe. We\u2019ll see. What\u2019s certain is he\u2019s not starting today. Less than zero surprise there.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the detailed context.<\/p>\n Last year, Davies blew his ACL playing for Canada. The reaction of his employer, Bayern Munich, was, I\u2019d say, privately apoplectic. They\u2019re paying him a ton of money and he missed many months. When he was back, he hurt his right hamstring twice this year and then, during a Champions League semifinal in early May, his left hamstring.<\/p>\n That was six weeks ago. Davies didn\u2019t join Canada when the whole team first got together for the World Cup and then after joining the team from Germany he has been with the group but training on his own. That\u2019s overseen by Matthias Blankenburg, a Bayern-approved sports scientist based in Munich<\/a> who \u201cworks at the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n The rumours around Davies, predictably, range. One suggests Bayern doesn\u2019t want Davies to play at all at this World Cup. One fact is Bayern recently acquired<\/a> Nathaniel Brown, who is currently starting for Germany at the World Cup and who could replace Davies as a starter at the club later this year. Chatter also includes<\/a> talk that Davies will be sold to another top club soon. Davies hurting himself here would more than mildly displease Bayern.<\/p>\n Davies made his professional debut a decade ago for the Vancouver Whitecaps as a 15-year-old wunderkind. He must desperately want to play at this World Cup, where he, at 25, is the youngest team captain of 48 countries. He could, with a big performance, carry Canada into the knockout round and cement a lasting legend. <\/p>\n He must also be terrified of hurting himself yet again. His Canada teammate Alistair Johnston last year dealt with a wonky hamstring and then last fall when he injured it again: surgery.<\/p>\n Marsch yesterday said the team has worked closely with Blankenburg. \u201cAlphonso is looking really good,\u201d the coach said. Davies playing today will depend on what\u2019s happening in the match against Qatar, the coach said.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say, if Canada desperately needs him late in the game, it\u2019s a maybe. Also, if Canada is comfortably up late in the game, maybe he comes on for a jog. Or, perhaps most probably, he doesn\u2019t play \u2013 and instead, hopefully, plays next week in the key final group stage game against Switzerland. Or maybe he doesn\u2019t play at all.<\/p>\n Canada can \u2013 and should \u2013 win today without him. But he would, soon enough, be a huge boost to the team\u2019s prospects.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:45Media section at BC Place is packed to the gills<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n This is my view for the match, where it\u2019s tight quarters for photographers and their telescopic lenses. We\u2019re at the foot of the media tribune, which is packed to the gills compared to last Saturday\u2019s game. I\u2019m going to miss having a row to myself!<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Moira Wyton\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:43Canada beat Qatar by two points when the teams faced off in 2022<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Canada and Qatar have only met once before, in a September 2022 friendly in Vienna prior to the 2022 World Cup. Canada won 2-0 on goals by Cyle Larin in the fourth minute and Jonathan David in the 13th minute.<\/p>\n Larin and David start again up front for Canada.<\/p>\n Canada and Qatar are both looking for their first win at the World Cup, having secured their first-ever point in draws against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland, respectively, last time out.<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s record at the tournament is 0-6-1 while Qatar is 0-3-1.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:41From Qatar to Vancouver: These Calgary World Cup fans always bring their cowboy hats<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Mitchell Randall and Craig MacTavish wore their cowboy hats to the World Cup in Qatar, and knew they had to bring them from Calgary again this time around.Moira Wyton\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Fans have pulled from all corners of Canadiana to rep their team today \u2013 hockey jerseys, maple leaf tattoos and, yes, cowboy hats.<\/p>\n Mitchell Randall and Craig MacTavish wore their cowboy hats to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and knew they had to bring them from Calgary again this time around.<\/p>\n MacTavish said he loves the different energies in Vancouver and Toronto, where he attended Canada\u2019s opening match last week.<\/p>\n How are the two Canadian host-cities different? \u201cThat\u2019s a dangerous question,\u201d he laughed. \u201cNo comment.\u201d<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:30BC Place is heating up (literally)<\/p>\n \u2013 Andrea Woo<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Andrea’s view from the media sectionAndrea Woo\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Hello! I\u2019m Andrea Woo and I\u2019m a national reporter based in Vancouver. I\u2019m currently in the heat and crowds of BC Place stadium, regretting my decision to wear long pants. My feelings about slow walkers are tempered only by the swell of overwhelmingly good vibes here today. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s my view from the media section. Guess where the Qataris are sitting?<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:28Davies and Bombito available, but not in starting lineup<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson<\/p>\n Still no Alphonso Davies or Mo\u00efse Bombito in Canada\u2019s starting lineup. Davies, the team captain, and Bombito, its best defender, are among the substitutes for today\u2019s game. Both have been out with injuries. Whether they see action against Qatar will perhaps signal their readiness for the Group B finale against Switzerland on June 24.<\/p>\n Canada head coach Jesse Marsch says both players are available.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s see how the game goes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Of course, a win over Qatar is necessary to set up the Swiss showdown. Should Canada down Qatar and join Switzerland on four points, it can finish no lower than third in the group since Bosnia-Herzegovina and Qatar, each on one point, play each other in their final game.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:17Team Canada takes the field for warm up<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, centre, waves to fans in the stands while warming up prior to Canada’s match against Qatar in Vancouver, June 18, 2026.Abbie Parr\/The Associated Press<\/p>\n With less than an hour to go until kickoff, Team Canada has taken to the pitch to warm up.<\/p>\n The players streamed out of the tunnel to raucous cheers from the Canadian fans. It was so loud I\u2019m already wishing I remembered my earplugs, and the stadium isn\u2019t even half-full yet. <\/p>\n Alphonso Davies ran out with the team and looked in good form, but he\u2019s currently warming up separately from the rest of his teammates and passing a ball with a staff member. The captain is available to play today, head coach Jesse Marsch said, but he\u2019s not in the starting 11.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:10Cyle Larin and Ali Ahmed added to Canada\u2019s starting lineup<\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield<\/p>\n After watching his team escape its World Cup opener with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto, Canada\u2019s head coach Jesse Marsch has restored the scorer of that crucial goal, Cyle Larin, to the starting lineup for Thursday\u2019s match against Qatar. It\u2019s one of two changes to Team Canada\u2019s starting lineup.<\/p>\n After comfortably outplaying Bosnia for most of the match, Marsch will be hoping Larin and Jonathan David \u2013 with a combined 70 international goals on their resumes \u2013 can find the net as Canada chases its first World Cup win. To help on the creative side, Marsch has also promoted Ali Ahmed \u2013 a second-half substitute last week \u2013 to the starting lineup in place of Liam Milllar. <\/p>\n Ahmed, who knows BC Place well from his three years as a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps before moving to England\u2019s Norwich City last January, played well, doing more in his 30-minute cameo than many players did over the full 90 minutes.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:03Beers are pricey at BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Beer prices at BC Place.Moira Wyton\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n BC Place is filling up with fans, and security at the media gate and to get into my spot in the press tribune was noticeably tighter than at Saturday\u2019s Australia vs. Turkey match. <\/p>\n But to my surprise, there hasn\u2019t been a home-team tax added to FIFA\u2019s exorbitant beer prices. It\u2019s still up to $26 for a single draft premium beer, which many fans are understandably availing themselves of on this hot, sunny day. I\u2019ll stick to the free water bottles they\u2019re giving media at our seats. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:02Watching today\u2019s game at home from Toronto <\/p>\n \u2013 Paul Attfield<\/p>\n Hi everyone, and welcome to the second week of the 2026 World Cup! I\u2019m Paul Attfield, a sports reporter in Toronto, and I, like many of you across the country, will be watching the match on TV at home today \u2013 and hoping Jesse Marsch\u2019s men brought their shooting boots this time around.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 17:01Canada\u2019s starting 11 in the match against Qatar<\/p>\n \u2013 Neil Davidson <\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada’s Cyle Larin celebrates scoring their first goal in Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina game.KEVIN SOUSA\/Reuters<\/p>\n The Canadian starting 11 go into the match against Qatar with a combined 580 appearances for the country, up from 520 for the starters in last week\u2019s game against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Forward Cyle Larin leads with 91 caps. Defender Luc de Fougerolles has the fewest at 14.<\/p>\n Today\u2019s starters have scored a combined 90 goals for Canada. Jonathan David leads with 39 while Larin has 31 goals.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:53Team Canada has arrived at BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Team Canada is in the house, and the players were all business when they stepped off the bus. Starting keeper Maxime Cr\u00e9peau was the first, while Alphonso Davies brought up the rear, as he headed into the stadium where he first started his career. <\/p>\n The \u201cRoadrunner\u201d and many of the 26-man roster had their headphones on as they made their way down the tunnel. I wonder what\u2019s on their pre-game playlists…<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:52The sun is shining at Vancouver\u2019s FIFA Fan Festival <\/p>\n \u2013 Marsha Lederman<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n North Vancouver’s Elliott Allard has a moment with the Living Hedges mascots at Vancouver’s FIFA Fan Festival.Marsha Lederman\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Hi. I\u2019m Marsha Lederman at the FIFA Fan Festival in Vancouver, where local fans who couldn\u2019t snag\/afford tickets to the actual game are amassing to cheer on Team Canada. (Someone I know paid, gulp, $1,200 for a single ticket to the game today.) <\/p>\n Well beyond the stadium, the city is buzzing today \u2013 probably nowhere more than here at the PNE grounds, which are about six kilometres east of BC Place. It\u2019s very pleasant here in the sunshine: lots of red t-shirts and Canadian flags. <\/p>\n Streets around here are manageable (so far). A recommended way to get here, if you can, is by bike: There are two free bike valets available. <\/p>\n Make sure you bring sunscreen \u2013 and take hydration breaks!<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:48Canada head coach says the pressure of World Cup got to the team ahead of last Friday\u2019s game<\/p>\n \u2013 David Ebner<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada head coach Jesse Marsch kicks a ball before a FIFA World Cup soccer training session in Vancouver on Tuesday.DARRYL DYCK\/The Canadian Press<\/p>\n Hello everyone \u2013 I\u2019m a national correspondent at The Globe, stationed in Vancouver since 2008 and at the paper since 2000. In the mid-2010s I was a sportswriter, reporting on a wide range of sports, including the women\u2019s World Cup in 2015. Outside of this World Cup, I report on the Supreme Court of Canada.<\/p>\n Late Wednesday, at BC Place, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch spoke to reporters for the first time this week after, I\u2019d say, ducking attention during training. That had to be a strategy to keep the atmospheric fervour contained ahead of today\u2019s big match, with all the questions about the team\u2019s desperate need to score goals and the uncertain health of star Alphonso Davies.<\/p>\n Marsch conceded the pressure got to the team ahead of the Bosnia-Herzegovina game last Friday in Toronto. It showed, for a while, on the field. Canada didn\u2019t play that well in the first half and salvaged a 1-1 draw in the second half against a lesser, but scrappy, opponent that they could have (should have) beaten. <\/p>\n It was \u201creally difficult\u201d to prepare for everything that \u201cthe madness\u201d of the World Cup involves, the coach told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us, the first week was a little crazy, I\u2019ll be honest,\u201d Marsch said. \u201cThere was a lot of fanfare, and it was a little hectic and chaotic around the team in Toronto.\u201d<\/p>\n The Canadian team got to Vancouver last weekend and trained Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of British Columbia. Marsch said the team has calmed and settled into a rhythm. They\u2019re more focused.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see how they open the game this afternoon.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:40Voyageurs fan club gives morning boost to Irish pub<\/p>\n \u2013 Mike Hager<\/p>\n Shalv Mehta, general manager at the Vancouver Fionn MacCool\u2019s franchise, said he was heartened to see 150 people waiting outside the door this morning when the restaurant opened for Team Canada\u2019s Voyageurs\u2019 fan club Thursday morning.<\/p>\n He said he is hoping this momentum continues for the Irish pub, which has been struggling due to being located in an unassuming pocket of Vancouver, far away from the Granville Street strip of bars that has been drawing thousands to watch each World Cup match. <\/p>\n As the head of security for the Vancouver matches chatted with nearby Vancouver police officers, people continued to stream into the lineup to enter his bar.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been popular with the locals, but that\u2019s about it,\u201d said Mr. Mehta, who arrived at 6 a.m. this morning and expects to leave at midnight. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:31Vancouver has apparently created a whole new type of coffee cup<\/p>\n \u2013 Cathal Kelly<\/p>\n One hour and a half before kickoff at BC Place, enjoying a hot cup of joe in this bizarre receptacle. What is going on in Vancouver? Do they think they can make up their own rules or something?<\/p>\n Cups with lips and lids are not a technology that needed improving. This is not a cup. It\u2019s a change purse designed to cover you in boiling liquid.<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n A photo of Cathal Kelly’s coffee at BC Place.Cathal Kelly\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:28Voyageurs\u2019 march to BC Place is underway<\/p>\n \u2013 Jesse Winter<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Canada fans celebrate as their team faces Qatar at the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver.Jesse Winter\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n The march is underway! Thousands of Team Canada supporters led by the Voyageurs\u2019 fan club have filled Quebec Street and are marching towards the stadium. Smoke flares, drumming and lots of O Canada!<\/p>\n There are lots of police around and volunteers trying to keep things moving safely.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:27Team Canada is about to arrive at BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Alphonso Davies arrives before the FIFA World Cup Group B match between Canada and Qatar at BC Place.Fran Santiago\/Getty Images<\/p>\n I\u2019m at the player entrance, where Team Canada is about to arrive. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Alphonso Davies, who started his professional career here as a teen with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2016. <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:25Top goalscorers in the tournament so far<\/p>\n \u2013 Sarah Wallace<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during Argentina vs. Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium on Tuesday.ROBERTO SCHMIDT\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The first round of group-stage games might have only concluded yesterday, but the race for the Golden Boot \u2013 the top goal scorer of the tournament \u2013 is on. <\/p>\n Right now, Lionel Messi is in the lead after scoring a hat trick in Argentina\u2019s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The Argentinian is also tied with Germany\u2019s Miroslav Klose for the most goals in World Cup history, with 16.<\/p>\n Here are the standings in the Golden Boot race, so far:<\/p>\n 1. Argentina\u2019s Lionel Messi (Three goals, no assists, 84 minutes played)T2. U.S.\u2019s Folarin Balogun (Two goals, no assists, 77 minutes played)T2. Germany\u2019s Kai Havertz (Two goals, no assists, 100 minutes played)T2. Sweden\u2019s Yasin Ayari (Two goals, no assists, 100 minutes played)T2. England\u2019s Harry Kane (Two goals, no assists, 101 minutes played)T2. New Zealand\u2019s Elijah Just (Two goals, no assists, 101 minutes played)T2. Norway\u2019s Erling Haaland (Two goals, no assists, 103 minutes played)T2. France\u2019s Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 (Two goals, no assists, 106 minutes played)<\/p>\n If the Golden Boot award is tied on goals, the number of assists the player had in the tournament will determine the winner. If it is still tied after the assists, the person who had the least minutes played will be victorious.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:21Edmonton fan springs for bespoke maple leaf face paint<\/p>\n \u2013 Mike Hager<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Steve Cavers and his girlfriend Amy were one of the 300 or so members of Team Canada’s Voyageurs fan club to show up for the 10 a.m. pre-match party at a Fionn McCools.Mike Hager\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Steve Cavers and his girlfriend Amy were among the 300 or so members of Team Canada\u2019s Voyageurs fan club to show up for the 10 a.m. pre-match party at a Fionn MacCool\u2019s. Like the others, they wore red and white jerseys, but Cavers went the extra step of sourcing a local artist to paint a life-size maple leaf on his face.<\/p>\n The Edmonton couple said they could spring for the elaborate face paint because they saved money on accommodations by staying with family after \u201cwinning the lottery\u201d to get $1,000 tickets to the game through FIFA\u2019s draw.<\/p>\n Cavers would only say he \u201clikes a couple of them\u201d when asked which of the fan club\u2019s chants is his favourite. His girlfriend clarified why he was reluctant to share: \u201cThere\u2019s some profanity in them.\u201d<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:18World Cup fans from Texas get ready to support Team Canada <\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Randy Smith (far right) and his friends from Texas are attending games in all three of the tournament\u2019s host countries.Moira Wyton\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n There is still over two hours until kickoff, and Randy Smith and his friends are already on their second beer tower. <\/p>\n The boisterous crew of Texans have been friends for at least 15 years \u2013 some more than 40 \u2013 and are attending games in all three of the tournament\u2019s host countries. They were camped out at the Boston Pizza at the foot of BC Place watching Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina. <\/p>\n This is Smith\u2019s 10th World Cup, and he said it was no question that he would support Canada at the match today. <\/p>\n The Sweden vs. Tunisia game in Monterrey set the bar high for him, but \u201cthe atmosphere has been great here so far,\u201d Smith said. <\/p>\n And how many beer towers will they finish before they head into the stadium? <\/p>\n \u201cSeven,\u201d he laughed. \u201cTower per hour!\u201d <\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:14Team Canada fans crowd bars early for today\u2019s game<\/p>\n \u2013 Mike Hager<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Qatar fans, Shahd Badran and Darren Ashour, wearing jerseys near Vancouver\u2019s iconic seawall ahead of today’s match.Mike Hager\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Hi, I\u2019m Mike Hager, a reporter in The Globe\u2019s B.C. Bureau. I started my day with a run along Vancouver\u2019s iconic seawall and witnessed hundreds of Team Canada fans crowding into bars as early as 9:30 a.m. PT to prepare for today\u2019s big game. I\u2019m going to watch the team\u2019s fan club march from near Olympic Village to the stadium.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:10No tickets available on reseller sites, but FIFA\u2019s marketplace has some for sale<\/p>\n \u2013 Sarah Wallace<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n General view inside BC Place Vancouver before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B match between Canada and Qatar.Fran Santiago\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Like when Canada played Bosnia-Herzegovina last Friday, there are no tickets available for resale in the hours leading up to Canada\u2019s game against Qatar. A StubHub spokesperson told me<\/a> last week that it was FIFA, not the resellers, who cut off ticket transfers hours before matches.<\/p>\n Today, SeatGeek put a notice on its website indicating that listings would be removed three hours prior to kickoff. Ticket pages on both Ticketmaster and StubHub have disappeared as of 12:30 p.m. PT.<\/p>\n You still can buy some tickets on FIFA\u2019s resale marketplace, with prices starting at around $1,100 as of 12:45 p.m. PT.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 16:02Spending thousands to attend Vancouver World Cup games<\/p>\n \u2013 Jesse Winter<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Colin Rowsell and Josie Ferrara, from Fort McMurray, Alberta, celebrate as their team faces Qatar at the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver.Jennifer Gauthier\/Reuters<\/p>\n At a pub in Vancouver\u2019s Olympic Village, I met Colin Rowsell and Josie Ferrara from Fort McMurray, Alta. <\/p>\n They spent about $5,000 each to attend four games in Vancouver. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to host, Ferrara said. \u201cWe wanted to be here to support the athletes.\u201d<\/p>\n Hundreds of fans are gathering on Quebec Street preparing to march to the stadium. Things are about to kick off!<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:57Today is a \u2018pinch me\u2019 moment <\/p>\n \u2013 Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Fans gather in Vancouver and march to the stadium before the match.Jennifer Gauthier\/Reuters<\/p>\n Hi, I\u2019m Moira Wyton, a journalist based in our Vancouver bureau. My day job is being an editor on The Globe\u2019s audience growth team, but today I\u2019ve slipped out from behind my desk to cover the game from BC Place. This is my first time reporting on a World Cup, and it\u2019s a bit of a \u201cpinch me\u201d moment after playing soccer for 26 years, and watching the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments for almost as long. <\/p>\n The last time I saw Canada\u2019s men\u2019s team play in person was their shocking \u201cIceteca\u201d win over Mexico in November, 2021, which helped send them to the 2022 World Cup. Fans braved freezing, snowy conditions in my hometown of Edmonton to cheer on the team, and I\u2019m sure more than a few parkas were ruined by spilled beer when the final whistle on the 2-1 victory blew. <\/p>\n It\u2019s about 30 degrees hotter in Vancouver today, so I\u2019m curious to see how hard fans go for the home team when they can actually feel their toes.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:45History made in Czechia vs. South Africa matchOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Referee Tori Penso and assistant referees Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt before the Czech Republic v South Africa match.Bernadett Szabo\/Reuters<\/p>\n \u2013 Sarah Wallace<\/p>\n In other World Cup news: History was made today when Americans Tori Penso, Brooke Mayo and Kathryn Nesbitt became the first all-American, all-women refereeing trio to officiate in the men\u2019s tournament. They officiated Czechia\u2019s 1-1 tie with South Africa.<\/p>\n The head referee, Penso, is the second woman ever to call a men\u2019s World Cup match. The first was France\u2019s St\u00e9phanie Frappart, who officiated a Germany vs. Costa Rica game in the 2022 World Cup \u2013 also with two other female referees on the field. Penso had previously called the FIFA women\u2019s World Cup final in 2023, where Spain came out victorious over England.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:35Getting ready to join the Voyageurs\u2019 march to BC Place<\/p>\n \u2013 Jesse Winter<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Jesse Winter’s World Cup gear.Jesse Winter\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n Hey! I\u2019m Jesse \u2013 a writer and photojournalist in the Vancouver bureau. I\u2019m doing double-duty today. <\/p>\n I will be following Canada\u2019s supporters\u2019 club, the Voyageurs, march to the stadium and then swinging by the FIFA Fan Festival at the PNE to watch the game from there. <\/p>\n If it\u2019s anything like the Aussies vs Turkey match on Saturday, it\u2019ll be a wild few hours. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s a look at the kit I\u2019ll be using (and yes, the trail running shoes are crucial \u2013 you never know when you might have to crush some techy singletrack!). <\/p>\n Stay tuned here for words and photos of the action!<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:30Team Canada fans prepare to take over VancouverOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Fans gather in a bar in Vancouver ahead of the match.Jennifer Gauthier\/Reuters<\/p>\n Vancouver is counting down to its first home-team match of the 2026 World Cup, as fans prepare to give Team Canada a boost against Qatar at BC Place Stadium and at watch parties around the country.<\/p>\n There was a long queue at the official FIFA Fan Festival in East Vancouver, where total tournament attendance is set to surge past the 100,000 mark today.<\/p>\n Organizers say more than 98,000 fans have attended so far, with highest attendance of 31,481 on Saturday. <\/p>\n A staging area for police at the southern foot of Cambie Bridge is a hive of activity, while on and off ramps for the bridge that is the closest downtown crossing to the stadium are already shut.<\/p>\n Canadian supporters group The Voyageurs will be staging a march along the so-called \u201clast mile\u201d to the stadium, starting near Science World where its dome has been transformed into a massive replica of a World Cup soccer ball. <\/p>\n The group says supporters are assembling at 12:30 p.m. local time and setting off 30 minutes later, and will be marching with \u201cflags high, voices louder, building the energy all the way\u201d ahead of the 3 p.m. kickoff.<\/p>\n Canada fans are being encouraged to wear red to the match.<\/p>\n – The Canadian Press<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:30Carney attending Team Canada\u2019s game in VancouverOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n General view inside the stadium before the match.ANNE-MARIE SORVIN\/Reuters<\/p>\n Prime Minister Mark Carney is shifting gears today as he goes from one of the world\u2019s largest political events to the world\u2019s biggest sporting event. <\/p>\n Carney is just back from the G7 Summit in France meeting with top world leaders, and is in Vancouver today where he\u2019ll attend the World Cup match between Canada and Qatar. <\/p>\n Before that, the prime minister will make a homebuilding announcement in the city. <\/p>\n Carney is also due to meet with B.C. Premier David Eby. <\/p>\n – The Canadian Press<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:30How to watch the games in Canada<\/p>\n – Moira Wyton<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Fans react after Canada scores against Bosnia-Herzegovina during a FIFA World Cup watch party in Etobicoke, Ont., on Friday.Keito Newman\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n You can watch all 104 matches on television on TSN, or subscribe to stream them on TSN.ca or the TSN+ app. Check your cable package to see if you have TSN included, and find the full broadcast schedule here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thirty matches, including all three Canada group-stage games, will be available to watch on CTV or to stream through the CTV channel via the Crave app.<\/p>\n And The Globe and Mail will have live coverage of all Team Canada matches, as well as news and analysis throughout the tournament, which you can find here<\/a>.<\/p>\n 06\/18\/26 15:30Alphonso Davies available to face Qatar as Canada chases elusive World Cup win<\/p>\n – David Ebner<\/p>\n