Canadian soccer fans got a little sneak peek of who they can expect to see on the field when the FIFA World Cup kicks off next month.
Canada Soccer announced the 32 players that will attend the national men’s team training camp in Charlotte, N.C., which got underway on Monday.
Among the players selected were a few key players who have been dealing with injuries and whose participation at this summer’s tournament was seen as questionable.
Alphonso Davies, the world-class left back who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, is on the list. This comes after some recent reports of conflict between his club, Bayern Munich, and Canada Soccer regarding the handling of some injuries in the past.
Due to previous disagreements between CMNT and Bayern Munich regarding Davies’ health, the club reportedly is insisting that he must be treated and medically cleared by Bayern’s team doctors.
Moise Bombito, a key defender who hasn’t played since suffering a broken tibia back in October, was also included. This should be seen as a good sign that the centre back may be healthy enough to play a factor in games next month.
Alfie Jones, who has yet to play in 2026 after undergoing ankle surgery in January, was also included in the camp roster. There were reports that he was close to returning for Middlesbrough’s promotion playoff against Hull City, but he didn’t make that lineup.
The full roster can be found here.
The Canada Soccer announcement stated that “players will report to camp in line with communications with their respective clubs and medical staffs, with player fitness as the priority, whether reporting in Charlotte or thereafter ahead of the competition period.”
Team Canada’s manager shared a sense of excitement in announcing the team’s camp roster.
“These are the final days before we announce the squad that will represent Canada at a home World Cup, and the excitement in this group is real,” Marsch said in a statement. “We feel the momentum building across our country and we are calm, focused, and ready for this moment.”
When will the official roster be announced?
The announcement comes just days before the team’s official squad reveal, which is set to be broadcast on Friday, May 29, at 7 p.m.
After that, the team will play in pre-tournament warmup matches, the first coming on June 1 against Uzbekistan in Edmonton and then on June 5 against Ireland in Montreal.
Canada’s World Cup opener comes on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12.
Who were the big snubs?
Even with 32 players being selected for the camp, there still remained some snubs – in the eyes of some fans, at least.
Portland goalkeeper James Pantemis was left at home, as were Sam Adekugbe and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.
Veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who has played 69 career games for the Canadian national team, also didn’t receive a call.