Manager John Herdman leads Canada to its first Men’s World Cup since 1986, and only the nation’s second Men’s World Cup appearance.
Outside of a handful of injury absences, Herdman selected most of the players who contributed to the feat. Following the announcement of the 26-man roster on November 13, the selected players have been given the next task of shocking the world in Qatar.
A Nov. 11 friendly against Bahrain — a 2-2 draw ( video highlights ) — was the last chance for the players in Bulbul to make their case to Herdman before the final 26-man squad is selected.
Then on November 17, Canada beat Japan 2-1 and now aims to open their World Cup campaign against second-placed Belgium.
Canada World Cup Squad for Qatar 2022
The biggest absence will be defender Scott Kennedy, who suffered a shoulder injury on October 29 and will not be available for the tournament. Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who suffered a broken leg in the MLS Cup final on Nov. 5, is also out.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies suffered a hamstring injury on November 5 but has survived a bullet injury and will be ready to play in Qatar. Center-back Donil Henry missed the final after picking up an injury in the warm-up for the November 11 game in Bahrain.
The final roster follows below, and Herdman’s admission that “it doesn’t take a rocket scientist” to figure out who the key players will be for Canada, proved true.
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers |
| GK | 18 | Milan Borjan | Red Star Belgrade (SRB) | 35 | 68 | 10 |
| GK | 16 | James Pantemis | CF Montreal (CAN) | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| GK | 1 | Dayne St. Clair | Minnesota United (USA) | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| DEF | 3 | Sam Adekugbe | Hatayspor (TUR) | 27 | 34 | 12 |
| DEF | 25 | Derek Cornelius | Panetolikos (GRE) | 24 | 14 | 1 |
| DEF | 2 | Alistair Johnston | CF Montreal (CAN) | 24 | 30 | 14 |
| DEF | 22 | Richie Laryea | Toronto FC (CAN) | 27 | 34 | 13 |
| DEF | 4 | Kamal Miller | CF Montreal (CAN) | 25 | 29 | 12 |
| DEF | 5 | Steven Vitoria | GD Chaves (POR) | 35 | 35 | 8 |
| DEF | 26 | Joel Waterman | CF Montreal (CAN) | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| MID | 7 | Stephen Eustaquio | FC Porto (POR) | 25 | 22 | 12 |
| MID | 8 | Liam Fraser | KMSK Deinze (BEL) | 24 | 15 | 5 |
| MID | 13 | Atiba Hutchinson | Besiktas (TUR) | 39 | 98 | 10 |
| MID | 14 | Mark-Anthony Kaye | Toronto FC (CAN) | 27 | 38 | 10 |
| MID | 15 | Ismael Kone | CF Montreal (CAN) | 20 | 6 | 0 |
| MID | 21 | Jonathan Osorio | Toronto FC (CAN) | 30 | 57 | 13 |
| MID | 23 | Liam Millar | FC Basel (SWZ) | 23 | 16 | 4 |
| MID | 6 | Samuel Piette | CF Montreal (CAN) | 28 | 66 | 4 |
| MID | 24 | David Wotherspoon | St. Johnstone (SCO) | 32 | 10 | 3 |
| MID | 10 | Junior Hoilett | Reading FC (ENG) | 32 | 50 | 9 |
| FWD | 11 | Tajon Buchanan | Club Brugge (BEL) | 23 | 26 | 13 |
| FWD | 9 | Lucas Cavallini | Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) | 29 | 34 | 5 |
| FWD | 20 | Jonathan David | LOSC Lille (FRA) | 22 | 35 | 14 |
| FWD | 19 | Alphonso Davies | Bayern Munich (GER) | 22 | 34 | 7 |
| FWD | 17 | Cyle Larin | Club Brugge (BEL) | 27 | 55 | 10 |
| FWD | 12 | Ike Ugbo | Troyes (FRA) | 24 | 8 | 4 |
Canada’s Stars, Strengths, and Weaknesses at the 2022 World Cup
STARS
The two undisputed stars of Canada’s national team are Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, who have taken this team from the CONCACAF region to World Cup contenders.
Davies plays left-back at his club Bayern Munich, but he is often deployed in a more advanced role for the national team, either alongside a back-three or as an out-and-out winger. Still, he can play left-back when needed, offering some defensive flair with his world-class attacking play from wide areas.
David, meanwhile, is one of the hottest young attacking stars in Europe and looks set to become a wanted man after the season ends. Born in Brooklyn, NY to Haitian parents, David immigrated to Canada at the age of six and has been representing Canada since his youth days. Now scoring at Lille, he has developed a seamless strike partnership with Syle Larin at the national team level that is likely to earn him big money in the near future.
STRENGTHS
There is a surprising number of balls for the Pot 4 teams at the World Cup that should give pause to the other Group F participants.
In addition to a steady veteran goalkeeping presence in Red Star Belgrade’s Milan Borjan, the midfield is incredibly deep. Porto’s Stephen Eustaquio should start when healthy, and 37-year-old Atiba Hutchinson, who can also fill in at center-back, will lead the way if he regains his fitness after playing just 70 minutes of competitive action this season. In the Turkish Cup.
Samuel Piatt will start alongside Eustaquio at times, with Marc-Anthony Kei as a backup to either player in a deeper position. Jonathan Osorio, David Wotherspoon, and Junior Hoilett can occupy a more advanced position as the attacking link when the formation calls for it.
As a result of that depth, this team is extraordinarily flexible tactically. They are able to play a three-center-back formation with Alastair Johnston moving into the center, allowing wing-backs Alphonso Davies and Richie Laria to bomb forward. Or, they could line up in a more traditional 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation that sees Davies pushed up the pitch and the dangerous Sam Adekugbe slotting in at left-back.
Finally, this team has enviable team cohesion. Herdman has done an incredibly good job of fostering a dressing room culture where the team has played for each other on the pitch and is enjoying life on the national team.
WEAKNESS
This team’s biggest weakness is experience. While Canada reached the nation’s first World Cup since 1980, no one on this roster has been to a major FIFA international tournament before.
Additionally, most of the players are plucked together from North American sides or smaller European clubs. There are only three players on the roster projected to play in the Big Five European leagues, and only a handful with Champions League experience.
As a result, this team knows that it must not only play as a collection of talented players but that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Herdman holds this team together, and their performance at the World Cup will largely depend on maintaining that team buy-in.