Davies Headlines "Best Ever" Canada Squad as Marsch Names His World Cup 26
Jesse Marsch has named Alphonso Davies in what he called the best 26-man squad Canada has "ever assembled" for a World Cup, despite the Bayern Munich defender still recovering from a hamstring injury. Juventus forward Jonathan David also makes the cut. The co-hosts open Group B against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.
J esse Marsch has named Alphonso Davies in what the head coach described as the best 26-man squad Canada has "ever assembled" for a World Cup. The Bayern Munich defender, who will captain the co-hosts, was passed fit for inclusion despite recovering from a hamstring injury, while Juventus forward Jonathan David also makes the cut.
"Our best group ever"
"We have really our best group of 26 players that this country has ever assembled at any one time," Marsch said. Asked about fitness, he added: "Are all of them right now at full 100%? No, but they're close," signalling some frustration at repeated questions about injuries. Porto midfielder and vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio, Villarreal pair Tajon Buchanan and Tani Oluwaseyi, and Southampton forward Cyle Larin are all included.
A race to fitness for Davies
Davies, 25, faces a race against time to be ready for the opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 after being injured in Bayern Munich's Champions League semi-final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain. That came after a run of muscle problems following his return from an extended layoff with an anterior cruciate ligament tear. "The real X factor in all these decisions was to determine which players are going to be healthy, and who could we project to be really close to 100%," Marsch said. "Will everyone be 100% for the Bosnia match? No. But we will have a really strong core that will be ready, and we believe we can get stronger as the tournament goes on."
Three games at home
As one of three co-hosts, Canada, who have yet to win a World Cup match, will play all three group games on home soil. They open against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12, then travel west to face Qatar in Vancouver on June 18 and Switzerland in Vancouver on June 24. The expanded 48-team tournament across Canada, the United States and Mexico runs from June 11 to July 19.
The full 26
Goalkeepers: Dayne St Clair (Inter Miami), Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City), Owen Goodman (Crystal Palace). Defenders: Alistair Johnston (Celtic), Derek Cornelius (Marseille), Richie Laryea (Toronto), Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire), Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham), Moïse Bombito (Nice), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough). Midfielders: Stephen Eustaquio (Porto), Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal), Mathieu Choinière (Los Angeles FC), Ali Ahmed (Norwich City), Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht), Liam Millar (Hull City), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Jacob Shaffelburg (Toronto), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto). Forwards: Jonathan David (Juventus), Cyle Larin (Southampton), Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal), Promise David (Union SG).
Reporting: Alastair Telfer, BBC Sport, May 29, 2026.