How Canada will approach the 2026 World Cup: ‘Our players know they have support’

Mauro Biello can still close his eyes and hear the noise engulfing him and the entire Canadian men’s national team.

In the hours leading up to Canada’s final game at the 2022 World Cup against Morocco, Biello, then an assistant and now interim coach, knew there were challenges ahead for his team. Morocco needed a win to get out of Group F. And the crowd at Qatar’s Al Thumama Stadium, which Biello estimates was “95 percent” Moroccan fans, gave Morocco a boost. The distance to travel from Morocco to Qatar was not as daunting as it was for most other countries participating in the World Cup.

As the minutes ticked by and Biello and his staff retreated to the sideline, it seemed they could barely hear each other over the constant whistles and chants.

“We’ve played packed Aztecs before, but this time was different,” Biello said. The Athletic. “You saw it in the national anthem. We’re playing against Morocco, but we’re also playing against this kind of energy.”

That energy isn’t just something Coach Biello hopes his team will experience during the 2026 World Cup, when Canada plays its three group stage games at home. He believes this will make the travel Canada faces at its home World Cup much more bearable.

On Sunday, FIFA announced where the three co-host nations will play in 2026. The United States will be based in the Western region, playing two games in Los Angeles and one in Seattle. Mexico will play two games in Mexico City and one game in Guadalajara in the central region.

Both teams will stay in the same time zone throughout the group stage, with most teams in the 48-team World Cup staying in one region to limit the amount of travel across North America.

But Canada faces a unique situation. Canada will open the season in Toronto on June 12th, followed by two games in Vancouver on June 18th and June 24th.

The two Canadian host cities, Toronto and Vancouver, are three time zones apart and take more than five hours to fly.

This means teams in Canada’s yet-to-be-determined group will be the only teams asked to travel these distances during the group stage.

Will that be a disadvantage? Not so, according to Biello. If the Canadian crowd can recreate the energy he remembers feeling a year and a half ago, the long trip will be worth it.

“I truly believe – yes, Morocco were a good team – that team was able to go this far. that They have some kind of support behind them,” Biello said. “Every time we touch the ball, we know the fans are there. And now our players know they’ll get it.”

Canada will play its final two group stage games at Vancouver’s 54,500-capacity BC Place. The stadium could draw nearly 10,000 more fans than Toronto’s BMO Field.

Canadian fans who traveled to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup saw Canada become the only team other than the host nation to lose all three of their group stage games. Biello said his team will go into the 2026 World Cup with hopes of winning its first men’s World Cup.

“From a player standpoint, when you have (home) support, it’s an extra boost,” Biello said. “You need that crowd and that momentum to push yourself. You feel it the most in those moments when you need a little bit more of a push.”

By 2026, there will be two headquarters

World Cup teams typically have one home base. For example, U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter said the team will be stationed in Southern California for group stage games in 2026.

However, Canada will operate differently, as Coach Biello said he expects the team to have two separate home bases.

Coach Biello will likely camp in Toronto before the tournament and the first game (“It’s familiar territory,” he said), with the team leaving for Vancouver the night of June 12th immediately after the game. He said that was his idea.

From there, Canada will remain near Vancouver, but Bielloe said the team will “probably make the first decision” when choosing a practice location.

Biello hopes the two Canadian locations will have similar logistics and that the look and feel of the two locations will be as similar as possible, ahead of other teams looking for a home in Vancouver. .

“By working with our country, we will be able to put in place the right structure and ensure a smooth transition,” Biello said. “The players are stepping into an environment where they know what it means to represent their country.”

Please rest more

Canada will be able to withstand the increased travel, in part because World Cup organizers gave Canada five days of rest between each group stage match.

During the 2022 World Cup, most teams played with three days of rest. And because of the increased number of team participants and the total number of matches played, it is thought that each team will have an average of four days of rest during the 2026 World Cup.

However, Canada will likely be one of the few teams to be in one city on the days of the second and third games of the group stage, so the extra downtime will be helpful.

Biello and Canada’s immediate challenge will take place on March 23rd. Canada, who lost at home to Jamaica in November’s Copa America qualifier, will now face Trinidad and Tobago in a one-game playoff in Frisco, Texas, to determine who advances to the tournament.

A win would earn Canada a spot in the 2024 Copa America, where they will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the tournament’s opening match. A loss would deprive the team of any meaningful preparation for the World Cup, which they co-host.

“The most important thing is to control your emotions and frustration when you play against a team that is trying to beat a team that could be playing right now, that could be in the lower blocks,” Biello said. said.

Mr. Biello said he had recently discussed with Mr. Berharder how to attack Trinidad and Tobago. Berhalter was referring to the red card given to U.S. defender Sergino Dest after an emotional exchange with referee Walter Lopez in the second leg on Nov. 20.

“Remember the frustration in the second half. We have to manage those moments well,” Biello said.

According to Biello, Canada will likely have its best players at its disposal in order to get past Trinidad and Tobago. Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies suffered a ligament injury in the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach on February 3, but Biello said he had spoken to Davies afterwards.

“We contacted him after the game. He said he was fine,” Biello said. “We don’t want to be in a situation where he’s rushed back. And I’m sure Bayern will be careful too. It’s their investment. But he said he’s fine.”

(Photo: Bourne Ridley/Getty Images)