Canadian men's roster is deeper than ever, creating competition for roles

Fielding a roster with depth was always the dream for the Canadian men’s national soccer team.

Canada could often put together a decent starting XI, a group capable of causing better sides some difficulty with the ability to defend if not score. However, once the first-choice side became laboured late in a match, or injuries began to thin the herd, problems arose.

Times have changed.

We began to see it during that magnificent run to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and it has only become more apparent in the years since, but suddenly Canada has some impressive depth. OK, we are not talking depth like the French squad as we don’t currently have as many world class footballers competing for the same position. Aside from perhaps Alphonso Davies and maybe Jonathan David, we still don’t have world-class footballers, but we do have very good footballers in and beyond the starting team.

This is what makes the next 12 to 18 months for Canada so pivotal, as head coach Jesse Marsch begins to plan for the World Cup in 2026. Is he certain of which 11 players will start that historic first match in Toronto? I highly doubt it, and that is a great demonstration of just how thick with talent the nation currently is.

Next year’s Gold Cup will be fascinating. Expect Concacaf’s crown jewel to once again field B-teams from the class of the region, with hopefully a few stars sprinkled in. Will we see some new faces, perhaps some kids promoted from the U-17s? Will we see some dual nationals, whom Marsch said last week he will be recruiting over this winter? More than likely we will. And will we see some young stars born on that stage, players who could muscle their way into contention for the World Cup squad? That's a possibility.

In the big picture, let’s start by looking at players who are currently cemented in as starters.

Davies and David are the easy choices. Alistair Johnston is as close to a sure thing at right back as we have seen since Paul Stalteri. Moïse Bombito is absolutely at centre back. And the midfield is Stephen Eustaquio’s to run but, beyond those five players, there is much to debate and consider.

There are still unknown elements at play here, but let’s look at the obvious battles to keep an eye on:

GOALKEEPER

Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United / MLS) took the gloves from Max Crepeau (Portland Timbers / MLS) for last week’s Nations League wins against Suriname. Neither is considered a lock for the No. 1 job, although it is likely those two will vie for the gloves. Tom McGill, currently playing in England at MK Dons (on loan from Brighton), is a legitimate contender for the job and has even caused the ire of Roy Keane, which he should be commended for.

CENTRE BACK

Bombito seems to be something really special. Not to put too much pressure on the Nice man, but there is a lot to like there. Derek Cornelius (Marseille / Ligue 1) appears to be very close to a lock beside him, but it was nice to see Kamal Miller (Portland Timbers / MLS) with minutes last week, and there are some extremely interesting kids on the horizon such as Jamie Night-Lebel (Crewe Alexandra / EFL League Two) and Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham / Premier League), who ply their trade in England. Depth at centre back? Yeah, really.

THE RIGHT SIDE

This is the area to watch. You would assume once Tajon Buchanan gets match-fit he would be first choice to partner Johnston, but playing time is key and he will be in tough for minutes at Inter Milan. Ali Ahmed has stepped up in Buchanan’s absence and has played well for his country, but he needs a strong campaign in Vancouver (or elsewhere?) to assert himself. Richie Laryea is trusted, experienced and a safe choice. Keep your eyes peeled on Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split / Prva HNL), though. Marsch raved about his “Croatian savvy” on the ball and is versatile on the right-hand side.

THE LEFT SIDE

If Marsch could create a Jesse Marsch-type footballer in a lab, he would probably create Jacob Shaffelburg. The Maritime Messi has been a revelation but is still raw and admits his club season for Nashville was not good enough. If his development continues, he is likely the man out wide in 2026. There is always the possibility that Davies pushes further forward, especially if Sam Adekugbe enjoys a healthy and strong MLS campaign in 2026 (assuming he is still with the ‘Caps).

WHO TO PARTNER EUSTAQUIO?

I think many assumed Ismaël Koné had the job, and that might well be the case. However, the youngster is still finding his feet at Marseille and has been challenged publicly by manager Roberto De Zerbi to be better. Koné was replaced in the second leg against Suriname by Mathieu Choinière, who was excellent and appears to be a genuine threat from set-pieces. Like Koné, he is also a new European recruit having joined Grasshopper FC in Zurich earlier this summer. How they both develop after leaving CF Montreal will be of major interest.

UP TOP

As mentioned, David is a shoo-in here. Cyle Larin (Mallorca / La Liga) is close behind as a trusted leader under Marsch, however breakout seasons from the likes of Theo Bair (AJ Auxerre / Ligue 1) or Tani Oluwaseyi (Minnesota United / MLS) could cause some consideration.

Of course, all this discussion is just in good fun for now. While 2026 may not seem far away, in football terms, there are a lot of matches to be played before then. New faces will arrive on the scene, new formations will be experimented with, and some players may reinvent themselves.

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