Canada seeks first WC win against Qatar
After earning a historic point, Canada returns to Vancouver with its first World Cup win in sight.
VANCOUVER, Canada – The FIFA World Cup 2026 continues with co-hosts Canada facing Qatar in Group B on Thursday, 6 PM ET (3 PM local), at BC Place Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
The Reds collected their first positive result in a World Cup with a 1-1 draw in their opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday in Toronto. Cyle Larin scored the equalizer in the 78’ to rescue a point.
Qatar arrives with a historic draw of its own after collecting its first point in a World Cup against Switzerland. Down by the minimal difference, the reigning AFC Asian Cup champions forced an own goal in the 90’+4’ to earn the 1-1 result on Saturday in the San Francisco Bay Area.
After the two draws in the group’s first matchday, all teams are even with one point apiece. Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina would have met earlier in the day, allowing a winner in the Canada-Qatar match to claim first place prior to their final group encounters.
A victory for either Canada or Qatar would give the winning nation its first three points at a FIFA World Cup.
Canada vs Qatar -Facts
**●**This will be Canada and Qatar’s first World Cup meeting. Their only previous encounter came in a September 2022 friendly in Vienna – Canada won 2-0 through goals from Cyle Larin and Jonathan David.
● Canada have won their last four matches played in Vancouver, scoring 17 goals and conceding only two. The last team to beat them in the British Columbia city were Mexico in a March 2016 World Cup qualifier (0-3).
● Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina on MD1 was the first time they’ve avoided defeat in seven matches at the FIFA World Cup.
● This is the fourth time the FIFA World Cup host nation is facing a side from Asia, with the hosts winning each of the previous three – Mexico 1-0 Iraq (1986), France 4-0 Saudi Arabia (1998) and Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia (2018).
●Promise David assisting Cyle Larin on MD1 was the first time two substitutes have combined for a FIFA World Cup goal for Canada. In Larin’s case, he’d only been on the pitch for 121 seconds, scoring with his first touch in the game.
● No Canada player completed more passes against Bosnia-Herzegovina on MD1 than Ismaël Koné (50), with the midfielder also making the most line breaking passes in the final third (9) and applying more high intensity pressures (49) than any of his teammates.
