Canada National Team World Cup Betting
Hockey-mad Canada will make just its second World Cup appearance this winter. Canada was the most impressive team in North American qualifying, punching its ticket to Qatar before either Mexico or the United States on its way to topping the group. This is the most talented team in Canadian history, but it will be a tall task for the Canadians to take down Croatia and Belgium in Group F.
Manager: John Herdman
Nicknames: Maple Leafs, The Reds
Confederation: CONCACAF (North, Central America & Caribbean)
FIFA Ranking: 38 (March 2022)
Canada World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group F: +1300
To Win 2022 World Cup: +12500
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
Canada Group Stage Schedule
Belgium vs. Canada, Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan (FOX)
Croatia vs. Canada, Sunday, November 27, 2022, 11 a.m. ET, at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan (FS1)
Canada vs. Morocco, Thursday, December 1, 2022, 10 a.m. ET, at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha (FS1)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 1 (first in 1986)
Best Result: Group stage (1986)
Canada chose not to enter any of the first five World Cups. The country failed to qualify for the 1958 World Cup, and they abstained from entering the competition in either 1962 or 1966. They failed to make much headway in any of their next four attempts to make the World Cup, but they won the CONCACAF Championship in 1985 to qualify for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
The Reds ended up being the worst team at the competition. Canada failed to pick up a result or even score a goal as the country was humbled by France, Hungary, and the Soviet Union in successive matches. They were one of two teams to lose all three of their matches, but they were the only team that failed to score a single goal.
The last time Canada made the hexagonal before qualifying for the World Cup this time was back in 1998. Canada finished at the bottom of the table though, scoring just five goals in 10 matches. They have been far more prolific on offense this time around. Cyle Larin netted 13 goals in qualifying to lead CONCACAF, and Jonathan David had the second-most goals with nine.
Canada will automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup as one of the hosts alongside Mexico and the United States. Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto will be hosting matches, as the World Cup is played on Canadian soil for the first time.
What to Watch
Captain Atiba Hutchinson is the most capped player in the history of Canada. Hutchinson is 39 years old and is unlikely to participate in an international competition again after this World Cup, but he is hoping to become the first Canadian player to have 100 caps.
The other players to watch in the midfield are Mark-Anthony Kaye, Jonathan Osario, and Stephen Eustaquio. Kaye and Osorio are MLS veterans that have seen plenty of action over the years, while Eustaquio has been developing at Porto. He could be the breakout player of the tournament for Canada.
There are some nice attacking options for the Reds. Lucas Cavallini has 16 goals in 31 matches, and Jonathan David should go down as the leading goal scorer in Canadian history. David is 22 years old and already has 20 goals in 30 matches for Canada. Cyle Larin plays with Hutchinson on Besiktas so there is chemistry there, while Tajon Buchanan has some real potential too.
Alphonso Davies is the most talented player on Canada. Davies has been a revelation along the wing for Bayern Munich, and he is one of the fastest players in football. He already has 10 goals for the national team by constantly testing defenses on the wing, so Davies can be an X-Factor. This back line will be filled with MLS players aside from Davies though, and that could be an issue on such a big stage.
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