{
    "title": "Historic win puts Canada on verge of advancing at FIFA World Cup",
    "modified_at": "2026-06-19 19:56:33",
    "published_at": "2026-06-19 19:56:00",
    "url": "https://news.canadasoccer.com/historic-win-puts-canada-on-verge-of-advancing-at-fifa-world-cup",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/OjJd",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "A dominant 6-0 shutout against Qatar at BC Place puts Canada at the top of Group B and within striking distance of the knockout stage.",
    "slug": "historic-win-puts-canada-on-verge-of-advancing-at-fifa-world-cup",
    "body": "<p>By <a href=\"https://olympic.ca/author/dsquizzato/\">Daniel Squizzato</a> of the <strong>Canadian Olympic Committee</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Team Canada picked up its first-ever win at a senior men&rsquo;s FIFA World Cup on Thursday, defeating Qatar 6-0 at Vancouver&rsquo;s BC Place.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The crowd of nearly 53,000 was raucous from the get-go, with the home team providing plenty to cheer about. Jonathan David scored a hat trick, with Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also scoring for Canada.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">But the mood was somewhat dampened by an apparently serious injury to midfielder Isma&euml;l Kon&eacute;. He left the game on a stretcher in the second half, raising the tensions for the remainder of the match.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;He means everything to this team,&rdquo; said David of his injured teammate. &ldquo;It was a difficult moment. But we have to stay strong for him, and do it for him.&rdquo;</p><p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>READ: </strong><a href=\"https://canadasoccer.com/fifa-world-cup-2026/canadian-olympic-comittee/16-fun-facts-about-members-of-canadas-fifa-world-cup-squad/\"><strong>16 fun facts about members of Canada&rsquo;s FIFA World Cup squad</strong></a></p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Head coach Jesse Marsch&rsquo;s starting lineup featured nine of the 11 players who started <a href=\"https://olympic.ca/2026/06/12/canada-claims-historic-draw-in-fifa-world-cup-opener/\">Canada&rsquo;s 1-1 draw last week in Toronto</a>.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Larin, the goal-scoring hero from Canada&rsquo;s opener, started in place of Tani Oluwaseyi. Ali Ahmed &mdash; who has plenty of experience at BC Place after three seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps &mdash; started in place of Liam Millar.</p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                                    srcset=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/ 1x, https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a/-/resize/2400x/-/format/auto/ 2x\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"Canada&amp;#039;s players pose ahead of the match against Qatar.\"\n                id=\"image-63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a\"\n                data-id=\"63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a/-/inline/no/\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/63667ad1-a414-4a7c-8d65-9245b735410a/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Canada's players pose ahead of the match against Qatar.\"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">Canada&#039;s players pose ahead of the match against Qatar.</figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Canada&rsquo;s players prior to kickoff of the match against Qatar on Thursday. (Credit: Audrey Magny/Canada Soccer)</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The atmosphere was electric inside BC Place in the lead-up to kickoff. Canadian icon <a href=\"https://canadasoccer.com/profile/2971/christine-sinclair/\">Christine Sinclair</a> was there to hand off the coin to the referee for the coin toss.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute, sending the Vancouver crowd into bedlam. David doubled that advantage in the 29th minute, when he blasted home a right-footed volley.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>READ: </strong><a href=\"https://canadasoccer.com/fifa-world-cup-2026/canadian-olympic-comittee/how-accessibility-and-alignment-turned-canada-into-a-soccer-power/\"><strong>How accessibility and alignment turned Canada into a soccer power</strong></a></p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Tajon Buchanan was then taken down on a breakaway in the 31st minute. The referee showed Qatar&rsquo;s Homam Ahmed a red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, bringing Qatar down to 10 men for the remainder of the match.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">David scored his second goal in second-half stoppage time, leaving Canada up 3-0 at halftime. It was a big moment for the striker, who&rsquo;d faced some criticism for his performance in the opening match.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Asked after the Qatar match about responding to that criticism with three goals, he smiled and remarked, &ldquo;it&rsquo;s a striker&rsquo;s life.&rdquo;</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&nbsp;</p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cb32bfc3-4ba3-4619-9f84-f9dba0be4176/-/format/auto/\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"Canada players celebrate after a goal against Qatar on Thursday.\"\n                id=\"image-cb32bfc3-4ba3-4619-9f84-f9dba0be4176\"\n                data-id=\"cb32bfc3-4ba3-4619-9f84-f9dba0be4176\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cb32bfc3-4ba3-4619-9f84-f9dba0be4176/-/inline/no/\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cb32bfc3-4ba3-4619-9f84-f9dba0be4176/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Canada players celebrate after a goal against Qatar on Thursday.\"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">Canada players celebrate after a goal against Qatar on Thursday.</figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Canada players celebrate after scoring a goal against Qatar in a FIFA World Cup match on Thursday. (Credit: Audrey Magny/Canada Soccer)</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">It was shortly after halftime that Kon&eacute; suffered a grievous tackle from Qatar&rsquo;s Assim Madibo. It was a red-card offence, reducing Qatar to nine men.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Captain Stephen Eust&aacute;quio quickly gathered teammates around Kon&eacute;, sensing that it was a serious situation.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;I saw his leg, I saw that something wasn&rsquo;t right,&rdquo; said Eust&aacute;quio. &ldquo;I just wanted the medical staff to get in as quickly as possible so they could provide help for him.&rdquo;</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Eust&aacute;quio said after the match that while the team has plenty of quality midfielders, Kon&eacute; has an &ldquo;x-factor&rdquo; that will be difficult to replace.</p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/80ef254d-20c4-4904-a8fd-f492d6bca67c/-/format/auto/\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"Nathan Saliba holds up an Ismael Kone jersey after scoring on Thursday.\"\n                id=\"image-80ef254d-20c4-4904-a8fd-f492d6bca67c\"\n                data-id=\"80ef254d-20c4-4904-a8fd-f492d6bca67c\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/80ef254d-20c4-4904-a8fd-f492d6bca67c/-/inline/no/\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/80ef254d-20c4-4904-a8fd-f492d6bca67c/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"Nathan Saliba holds up an Ismael Kone jersey after scoring on Thursday.\"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\">Nathan Saliba holds up an Ismael Kone jersey after scoring on Thursday.</figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Nathan Saliba holds up an Ismael Kone jersey after scoring against Qatar on Thursday. (Credit: Audrey Magny/Canada Soccer)</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Saliba, who entered the match in place of Kon&eacute;, put Canada up 4-0 with a wonderful free kick in the 64th minute. Saliba held up Kon&eacute;&rsquo;s jersey as a tribute after the goal.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Urged on by the crowd, and knowing that goal differential could be crucial in this tournament, Canada kept pressing relentlessly.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;It was amazing,&rdquo; said David. &ldquo;After every goal they got louder, and that gave us more hunger to get the next one and the next one.&rdquo;</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">In the 75th minute, Jacob Shaffelburg launched a shot that forced a Qatar own goal. David then completed his hat trick in second-half stoppage time to make it 6-0.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;I just want to thank everybody from Vancouver, and from Canada overall,&rdquo; said Eust&aacute;quio. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s such a wonderful stadium, and I really feel that we&rsquo;re a soccer country.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&ldquo;Today was a very special day.&rdquo;</p><h4 id=\"whats-next\" ><strong>What&rsquo;s next?</strong></h4><p style=\"text-align: left\">Earlier in the day, Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1. Thanks to the big scoreline against Qatar, Canada sits first in Group B, edging out the Swiss on goal differential.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The final group-stage games for all four teams in Group B will take place at 12 pm PT / 3 pm ET on Wednesday, June 24. Canada plays Switzerland at BC Place; Qatar faces off with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Canada would win Group B with a win or draw against Switzerland. That would ensure their Round of 32 match would be played in Vancouver.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">Even with a loss against Switzerland, Canada is likely to advance. The teams finishing first and second in the group will qualify for the Round of 32. The third-place finisher could advance, but needs to await results in other groups.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The fourth-place team is eliminated from the tournament &mdash; but we now know, with certainty, that that won&rsquo;t be the Canadians.</p>",
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