Canada Soccer: Disappointed but Looking Ahead

Despite Early Exit, Canada Soccer Fans are Eager for Future

SportsLiam Christin — Published December 21, 2022 3 minutes

In my native country France, soccer is nothing short of sacred, uniting casual and hardcore fans whenever the national team laces up their cleats. However, when I think of sports in Canada, soccer isn’t exactly the first option that comes to mind. 

The Canadian women’s soccer team has shined on the international stage for years, striking gold in the 2021 Olympic Games and having qualified for every FIFA world cup since 1995. The men’s team, on the other hand, is a developing program that hasn’t experienced the same success and have only recently started producing world-class talent. 

Although Canada isn’t the biggest soccer-watching country, the sport still has a decent fanbase. It only grew more prominent after the men’s team secured a spot among the 32 teams at the 2022 world cup in Qatar. 

For the first time in nearly four decades, Canadian soccer fans had a squad to cheer for at a men’s world cup. With stakes and excitement high, the unfortunate reality came crashing down on the ecstatic fanbase. The team followed in the footsteps of their 1986 predecessors by losing all three group-stage games, failing to make it to the final rounds. Thirty-six years later, Canada’s men's soccer team is still without a win in a world cup game. 

Rather than beating themselves down over this poor performance, Canadian fans prefer to see the glass half-full. 

In the Algerian-Canadian Shahid household, where soccer has been the go-to sport for several generations, nobody seems to be too phased about the team’s early return from Qatar. 

“I wasn’t even born last time around,” said 19-year-old Rayan Shahid, wearing his red Canadian soccer jersey. “We’d always watch the world cup, but every time we would just cheer for whatever Arab team was qualified. Me and my brother know most players on the Moroccan squad because of the last world cup.” 

Rayan also explained how he didn’t get frustrated watching the team’s games, simply deciding to enjoy the moment. When asked if he perhaps didn’t care enough about the team to express such strong emotions, he shook his head in disapproval, explaining that he simply wasn’t expecting much from the collective, to begin with. 

“Apart from [Atiba] Hutchinson, most of the good players on the team are super young,” he continued. “I think that’s what’s exciting because the team is qualified for the next world cup and I think they’ll do better in a few years.” 

The Canadian squad does indeed include a contingent of young players, either already well-recognized or on the verge of a breakthrough. The most notable name remains Bayern Munich’s rising star left-back Alphonso Davies, who garnered much attention and high expectations going into the competition. 

The list of young studs also includes the likes of 20-year-old CF Montreal midfielder Ismaël Koné, recently signed overseas to fourth-ranked EFL Championship Club Watford FC, and right back Alistair Johnston who will be joining Scottish Premiership league-leading club Celtic FC after starting all three of Canada’s world cup games. 

After some useful experience taking on heavyweights such as Croatia and Belgium, the tougher competition these players now prepare themselves to face will be a way for them to hone their skills, improve and mature in hopes of making a deeper run when the next world cup comes around. 

With the team certain to appear at the 2026 world cup thanks to their status as hosts, soccer seems to have a bright future in Canada. The fan-friendly and popular nature of the sport is always attracting new fans, and according to the Canadian Soccer Association, more than one million soccer players are now registered across the country. After a disappointing performance in this world cup, Canada is poised for a drastic improvement and will be ready to show it sooner rather than later.