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HOUSTON — Floating through the cosmos, Jeremy Hansen gazed out the window of the Artemis II Orion capsule, watching Earth emerge from behind the lunar horizon. He couldn't help but stop and stare in wonder.
In that single, drifting sphere lay everything humanity has ever cherished, known, and for nearly all of us, ever imagined. A tiny fraction of people ever get to compete at a World Cup—and even fewer get to carry their nation's crest into space.
With the maple leaf stitched to his sleeve, representing a country celebrated for its modesty and, at times, overlooked on the world stage, the 50-year-old thrust Canada into the spotlight. His journey took him through years of training with NASA in Houston, a city that, through its scorching heat and vast urban landscape, nurtured his lifelong ambitions.
On Saturday, a different kind of global ambition brings another group of Canadians to that same Texas city.
Just over two months after Hansen returned from the stars, the Canadian men's national soccer team is chasing its own dream as they face Morocco in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup, a chance to launch Canadian soccer into a new stratosphere against one of the game's most formidable opponents.
"I think what drives people is a kind of instinct and passion, and there are many angles to that, but the reality is that we need to set goals and follow an instinct about where we're meant to make our mark at any given moment," Hansen tells Sports Illustrated on Canada's 159th birthday.
"You're going to encounter obstacles; you're going to face setbacks, but anything truly worth pursuing in life rarely comes without a fight. It demands hard work, dedication, and persistence, whether that means going to the moon or chasing the World Cup."
Hansen, no longer based in Houston, won't be in the stands—but he, along with former International Space Station Commander Chris Hadfield, will be watching closely. For two Canadians who pursued their dreams in Houston, it's time to watch another group do the same.
A New World Cup Frontier
Canada, guided by its own passionate leader and commander in chief, Jesse Marsch, captain Alphonso Davies and vice-captain Stephen Eustáquio, must rise to its greatest challenge yet against the sixth-ranked Atlas Lions—embracing the opportunity this generation has spent years working toward.
"My goal in this tournament, beyond inspiring our nation, was to make a deep run so we could face one of the world's powerhouses," said Marsch, who took charge of Canada in 2024. "Now we're at that stage, and I feel like it's a free swing, and we're going to go for it and do everything in our power to find a way."
Much like the decades Hansen devoted to spaceflight, the emotions that will wash over the Canadian players as "O Canada" echoes through NRG Stadium will be immense. The hopes of millions of fans will rest on their shoulders with every note, building into the thunderous crowd countdown that marks the final moments before every World Cup kickoff.
For Hansen, it's not unlike preparing for a rocket launch.
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"You know those emotions are coming, and it's important to acknowledge them, but then recognize that they're not what will carry you through the challenge ahead... You need to accept the situation and get to work to find a solution," he says.
"These players will be locked in on what they need to do, just as we were focused on doing our job in space, and the fact that people watch and find joy—and in our case, moon joy—in it is simply a bonus."
Inspirational Dreams a Path for Marsch, Herdman
Hansen's words of wisdom, which also featured in a round of 32 pre-match video on TSN, are just the latest in a series of well-known Canadians stepping up as sources of motivation.
Under Marsch, hockey icons Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby have connected with the squad, as have Olympic sprint champion Andre De Grasse, NBA great Steve Nash and Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Yet the approach is nothing new—nor is the cosmic connection and the parallels that space exploration can draw to Canada's rising profile in soccer, fueled by a fresh confidence and an ambitious spirit.
Back at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, former ISS commander Chris Hadfield joined the team on the sideline alongside then-manager John Herdman, who sought inspiration from unconventional sources even more boldly than Marsch.
Hadfield, who rose to fame through his musical and educational videos from the ISS in 2012, stood arm in arm with Canadian coaching staff and sang the national anthem before the 2022 World Cup opener—Canada's first World Cup match in 36 years.
At that time, Herdman had instilled the word "brotherhood" to define that generation of Canadian soccer. Thirteen of those players remain on the current squad, and the spirit hasn't wavered, even as expectations have grown. Marsch admitted it was the first thing that struck him when he took the role, and it was never more visible than when Ismaël Koné broke his leg during the 6–0 victory over Qatar.
And it resonated with Hadfield as well, as he built an enduring bond with the team and remains one of their most devoted supporters.
"It's important to know that what you're doing matters, and it really helps to have a clearly defined goal of what you're trying to achieve, but often what truly counts is who you're doing it with—and as an astronaut, when you get assigned to a mission, one of the first things the other astronauts ask is who you're flying with," Hadfield told the Northern Futbol Podcast.
"When you're piloting a spacecraft, the stakes aren't just about reputation and trophies; they're life or death, and you have to spend all those years building confidence in yourself and then your crew so you can go out and perform on that world stage... I'm sure Jesse's doing that far better than I ever could, but what he'll be doing is highlighting all the reasons this team has to believe in themselves and each other, and to step onto that pitch with swagger."
Tackling the Atlas Lions
This is uncharted territory for Canada at the World Cup. It's a stage their Concacaf counterparts haven't advanced beyond since the USMNT did so in 2002, and for many, simply reaching this point is already considered a remarkable achievement.
But the drive to reach the next frontier never stops. The U.S. landed astronauts on the moon in 1969, yet the push to return—and venture even further—has never ceased. And so, on Saturday, with millions watching, Canada hopes to push beyond the boundaries of its wildest soccer ambitions.
It will demand courage, near-flawless execution, perhaps some calculated risks on the fitness of key players Alphonso Davies and Moïse Bombito, and likely a few fortunate moments, but it is far from out of reach.
Marsch described preparing for Morocco as a "gory, horror show," yet also acknowledged that his squad will welcome the challenge, drawing on the freedom with which they played in his first three matches in charge—competitive defeats to the Netherlands and Argentina, along with a goalless draw against France.
"Aspire. We should absolutely dare to dream big."
Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Jeremy Hansen has a message for Canadians ahead of our first #FIFAWorldCup knockout stage match. pic.twitter.com/MgrZZWSBw0
"While it is very Canadian to be humble, and it's a wonderful human quality, sometimes we can hold ourselves back. Being humble should not prevent us from setting ambitious goals and chasing bold dreams," Hansen said on TSN.
"We should set big goals, we should anticipate challenges, we should allow for setbacks and adaptation, we should keep pushing until we ultimately succeed, and it makes me proud as a Canadian because I know that is at the heart of how we show up on the world stage."