Captain Alphonso Davies likely won’t play in Canada’s World Cup opener: coach

CHARLOTTE — Captain Alphonso Davies will likely miss Canada’s first game of this summer’s FIFA World Cup as he works his way back from a hamstring injury.

The Bayern Munich standout was one of the players named to Canada’s 32-player roster Monday for a pre-tournament training camp in Charlotte, N.C., but head coach Jesse Marsch said Davies is still in Germany, receiving treatment for the ailment.

While the 25-year-old defender is expected to join his teammates in his hometown of Edmonton next week before the squad faces Uzbekistan in a friendly, Marsch said it’s unlikely he’ll be in the lineup when Canada opens the tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.

“Yes, I think Alphonso will play in the World Cup,” the coach said. “No, I don’t think he’ll be ready quite on June 12. But we’ll see.”

There were questions on whether Davies would be healthy enough to play in soccer’s biggest showcase after he suffered a hamstring injury — the latest in a long string of ailments — while playing in a Champions League semifinal earlier this month.

He missed a pair of March friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia in Toronto with a hamstring strain, returned to play for Bayern, and was sidelined again on May 8 with another injury to the same area.

Bayern and the national team are working together to get the star athlete back up to health, Marsch said.

“In the end, what we both want is for Alphonso to be strong and healthy and be available for the biggest matches for both Bayern and for us,” he said. “Unfortunately, over the last year, it hasn’t gone that way. But we’re all working together to try to help that situation improve. Most importantly for Alphonso.

“He’s really excited. He’s really excited to get back with the team, he’s really excited to push in this World Cup to get himself ready.”

After this week’s training camp and the game against Uzbekistan on June 1, the national squad will take on Ireland in Montreal on June 5.

Toronto and Vancouver are among 16 cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico hosting a total of 104 games across the expanded 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 through July 19.

A wave of injuries has swept through the Canadian roster in recent months, forcing Marsch and his staff to juggle their plans ahead of the tournament.

“I’ve asked myself that — is it just bad luck? Is it that our players are all playing at higher levels now than they have previously? But that’s what we want,” the coach said.

“We’re not going to make any excuses, we’re not going to complain about anything. We’re going to be all positive in making sure that everything we do is about our relentless desire to achieve our goals. And we’re not letting anything get away.”

Several injured players are set to return at this week’s camp in Charlotte, including Alistair Johnston of Celtic FC, who is back after undergoing hamstring surgery, and OGC Nice’s Moise Bombito, who missed Canada’s March games as he worked his way back from a fractured tibia.

Royale Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David is also with the group after undergoing hip surgery.

“(David) looks incredibly strong,” Marsch said. “He looks as close to 100 per cent as we could hope. He’s going to make the squad, and he’s going to be ready for June 12th, I’m certain of that.”

This week’s camp in Charlotte will offer Marsch and staff a final look at players before Canada announces its official World Cup roster on Friday.

Three goalkeepers will be in camp, including Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City SC), Owen Goodman (Barnsley FC) and Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami FC).

The defence corps is made up of Zorhan Bassong (Sporting Kansas City), Bombito, Derek Cornelius (Rangers FC), Davies, Luc de Fougerolles (FCV Dender EH), Johnston, Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough FC), Jamie Knight-Lebel (Swindon Town FC), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Ralph Priso (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Niko Sigur (Hadjuk Split) and Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire FC).

Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal) is among the 12 midfielders heading to Charlotte. Also going are Ali Ahmed (Norwich City FC), Mathieu Choinière (LAFC), Stephen Eustáquio (LAFC), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Ismaël Koné (U.S. Sassuolo Calcio), Liam Millar (Hull City FC), Jayden Nelson (Austin FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Nathan-Dylan Saliba (R.S.C. Anderlecht) and Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC).

Juventus FC striker Jonathan David highlights Canada’s forward group, which also includes Promise David, Daniel Jebbison (Preston North End FC), Cyle Larin (Southampton FC), Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal CF) and Jacen Russell-Rowe (Toulouse FC).

Canada has also invited training players Nathaniel Abraham, Zayne Bruno, Tim Fortier, Maël Henry, Dylan Judelson and Elijah Roche to the camp.

The squad named for this summer’s World Cup will be the best Canada has ever had, Marsch said, full of young, dynamic players who play their club soccer at a high level.

“We’re going to be athletic and strong and we’re going to have a clear identity. We’re going to be at home. There’s no reason why we can’t have high expectations for ourselves,” he said.

“Calmly, effectively, in a disciplined way, we’re going to make sure we’re ready for whatever challenges come our way. And we’re really excited about that. We’re really excited about our group.”

When it comes to whittling the group down to 26 players on Friday, Marsch said he and his staff are looking at each athlete’s fitness and how they’re developing with just weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off.

With so many returning from injury, it’s critical there are contingency plans in place to ensure the team is covered for every possible scenario, he added.

“What we’re doing is putting everybody in the environment so they can prepare themselves mentally and physically for if they get the call,” he said.

“There’s a lot of injured players where, in a normal situation, we’d already have earmarked in the 26. But not knowing what it’ll look like in a week or not being able to fully predict in three weeks, we have to then, I think, have all plans in place for all players to be as prepared as possible.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press