Canada

Canada's 2026 FIFA World Cup Opponents Revealed: Who Will Face the Maple Leafs?

Canada's men's national soccer team discovered their group assignment for the 2026 FIFA World Cup during the inaugural 48-nation tournament draw held in Washington, D.C.

Spearheaded by stars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, Canada has experienced tremendous growth in recent years and concluded their 2025 campaign positioned 27th in FIFA's world rankings, after achieving their best-ever ranking of No. 25 earlier this year.

The 2026 tournament will represent Canada's first appearance in consecutive men's World Cups, having only previously qualified for Mexico 1986 and Qatar 2022. This also marks Canada's debut as a World Cup host nation, with head coach Jesse Marsch aiming to secure the team's first-ever World Cup points.

Below is a complete breakdown of Canada's Group B draw outcome.

Pot 1: Canada (Concacaf)

Pot 2: Switzerland (UEFA)

Most recent encounter vs. Canada: Switzerland 1–2 Canada (May 15, 2002)

Pot 3: Qatar (AFC)

Most recent encounter vs. Canada: Qatar 0–2 Canada (Sept. 23, 2022)

Pot 4: UEFA Playoff A (Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Former World Cup winners Italy from 2006 aim to secure their return to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 2014 when they compete in the UEFA Playoff Path A during the March international break.

The Italian squad must first overcome Northern Ireland before facing either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina to earn their spot in Group B. Marsch's squad recently defeated Wales 1–0 in an October exhibition match, which could prove advantageous for the upcoming tournament.