With less than two weeks until the start of the FIFA World Cup, Canada’s men’s national team is putting the finishing touches to preparations for a tournament that has been going on for 36 years.
The team had only qualified once before, in 1986, which means a whole new generation of fans are getting ready to cheer on the national team as they enter the world’s best football tournament.
To help Canadians understand the path to a title win and who might end up winning, CBC News has put together a cart-fan guide, with everything you need to know about the beautiful game and Canada’s chances.
Have a question about the World Cup? Send it to us at ask@cbc.ca
Football news, here! What basics do I need to know?
The World Cup is held every four years. Canada is one of 32 teams after qualifying for the tournament from their continental confederation.
Qatar is hosting this year’s tournament (it’s controversial, more on that later) and will play the opening match against Ecuador on November 20.
The World Cup final is scheduled for December 18, and the winner will take home the FIFA World Cup trophy.
In case you’re wondering, there’s also a Women’s World Cup, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand next July, and Canada will be playing in it.
Al Thumama Stadium is pictured in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. Qatar has spent tens of billions of dollars on new infrastructure for the World Cup. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)
How does the contest work?
First, the group stage: the teams are divided into eight groups of four, and they will play each team in their own group once. There will be four matches each day over a 12-day period.
At this stage, a win is worth three points, a draw is worth one and a loss is worth zero points. The top two teams in each group, that is, the teams with the most “points” – will go to the knockout round.
The knockout round: The remaining 16 teams will play against different groups (for example, the top team in Group A will play the second top team in Group B). Each losing team is eliminated from the tournament until the semifinals, when four teams remain. Two will advance to the final, while the remaining two will play for third place.
Who is Canada playing against?
Canada is in Group F, so they will play Belgium (Nov. 23), Croatia (Nov. 27) and Morocco (Dec. 1) in the group stage.
For the uninitiated, it’s three tough fixtures: Belgium are currently second in the men’s FIFA rankings, Croatia lost the 2018 World Cup final to France, and Morocco went undefeated in their qualification for the World Cup
So we won’t win the World Cup?
Experts say probably not, but don’t let that discourage you.
Remember: This is Canada’s second World Cup. In 1986, the team lost all three games, without scoring.
Team Canada sings the national anthem before a friendly match against Qatar in Vienna on September 23. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images)
“The benchmark of success, in a way, is a goal … If they get a win, that would be massive,” said football writer Chris Jones, who will be in Qatar covering the World Cup for CBC Sports.
“If Canada leaves the group [stage]this is amazing, like, this is our version of winning the World Cup.”
So who is likely to win?
The bookies favor Brazil to win the tournament, followed by Argentina, who have not lifted the Cup since 1986.
France, the 2018 champions, are third favourites, followed by England, whose fans are praying for their first World Cup title since 1966.
Brazil is the bookies’ favorite to win the World Cup. Team captain Neymar is pictured in Rio de Janeiro on June 23, 2021. (Ricardo Moraes/Reuters)
Tell me more about the Canadian team. Who should I name?
Star midfielder Alphonso Davies is one of the best young soccer players in the world. Fans were left worried after the 22-year-old suffered a hamstring strain while playing for Bayern Munich over the weekend, but the German club told CBC News that Davies’ participation in the World Cup ” there’s no risk.”
A child born in a refugee camp should not make it! But here we go to the World Cup. Don’t let anyone tell you that your dreams aren’t real. KEEP DREAMING, KEEP ACHIEVING! pic.twitter.com/GT4hjz4ebO
—@AlphonsoDavies
Tajon Buchanan, 23, is also a rising international star playing for Club Brugge in the Belgian First Division A of the UEFA Champions League. “This is a very exciting player. This is a guy that opposing defenders absolutely hate to deal with because he is so fast,” said soccer reporter John Molinaro, CBC contributor and founder of TFC Republic.
Captain Atiba Hutchinson is overcoming a long injury to play in his first World Cup. At 39, it’s also his last. “From an emotional perspective, it will be fun to watch [play]” said Andi Petrillo, anchor of CBC Sports’ Soccer North.
Also keep an eye out for defensive midfielder Stephen Eustaquio and forward Jonathan David, who head to Qatar after outstanding seasons in Europe. “If you had to bet on which Canadian would score the first goal in World Cup history, I think Jonathan David is a very good bet,” Jones said.
LOOK | An update on Alphonso Davies’ injury:
Alphonso Davies injury update, Canada Soccer stars impress
Soccer North host Andi Petrillo shows you how the best Canadians did in the world this week on “Keeping Up with the Canadians.”
You mentioned that there is controversy surrounding this World Cup. Tell me more?
There are several, including the heat, Qatar’s human rights record, Iran’s involvement and, as has become the norm at the World Cup, allegations of corruption involving FIFA.
First, the heat: expect to see players sweating it out in temperatures of over 30C. The tournament was moved from June to July to November to keep it a little cooler. But this change also means that many players are coming straight from the European and American football seasons, with no rest to acclimatise to the heat.
“They’re probably going to be a bit more sloppy and slower, so to speak, in their game than if they were in a kind of perfect thermal situation,” said Professor Stephen Cheung, an environmental stress expert in human physiology. at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont.
A migrant worker sleeps on a bench in front of the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on October 15. Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, including those building its World Cup stadiums, has been in the spotlight ahead of the tournament. (Nariman El-Mofty/The Associated Press)
This heat has also proven deadly for thousands of migrant workers in Qatar, a figure disputed by the Qatari government, which brings us to another controversy: Qatar’s human rights record.
Same-sex relationships are criminalized in the host country, and LGBTQ+ people face arbitrary detention and abuse by security forces, according to Human Rights Watch.
Then there’s Iran’s involvement: In recent days, Ukraine and international activists have called on FIFA to ban Iran because of its role in supplying Russia with arms, as well as its crackdown on activists .
FIFA has responded by telling teams to “focus on football”, rather than human rights issues, while the football body continues to be dogged by allegations of corruption.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino recently wrote to the 32 teams participating in the World Cup, urging them to “focus on football” rather than human rights issues in Qatar. Infantino appears in Managua, Nicaragua, in August. (Inti Ocon/The Associated Press)
The US Department of Justice alleges that FIFA officials took bribes in exchange for awarding Qatar the hosting rights in 2010. It is just one of many such allegations leveled against the FIFA and its leadership in recent years.
wow OKAY. Anything else I should be watching for?
Two big names in football are (probably) playing their last World Cup: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Neither has ever won the World Cup, so lifting the trophy during their final tournament would be a huge deal for either captain and their country’s fans.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, left, and Argentina’s Lionel Messi are likely to play their last World Cup. Neither has won the trophy during their career. (Albert Gea/Reuters)
Any tips for my World Cup viewing schedule?
You can check the schedule so far here. Unfortunately for Canadian fans, the World Cup kick-off time is between 5 am and 2 pm ET, which could make it difficult to tune in on a weekday (especially from a bar), unless your no one is a football fan either.
Finally, am I supposed to say soccer or football?
Although Canada, the United States and Australia call the game “soccer”, the World Cup is officially a “soccer” competition and FIFA is short for Fédération Internationale de Football Association. You can keep calling it football if you want, just be prepared to be corrected by fans of other teams.
Watch the new CBC Sports Soccer North program airing weekly on CBC Gem, CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports YouTube channel. Hosted by Andi Petrillo, Soccer North brings Canadians closer to the hottest soccer headlines on and off the field. Soccer North will be live after all of Canada’s matches in Qatar.