World Cup Showdown: Canada's Striker and Center Back Wars Heat Up as Squad Battles for Final Roster Spots
Jesse Marsch will bring back crucial defenders Moïse Bombito and Alistiar Johnston to the Canada men's national squad in March, though both will serve as training players rather than participating in the home friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia in Toronto.
Canada Soccer announced the 26-player roster for these friendlies on Thursday, including Nice's Bombito and Celtic's Johnston as training participants. Both defenders are anticipated to play pivotal roles at the 2026 World Cup, which Canada will jointly host with the United States and Mexico.
Despite the return of these important defensive assets as training players—and Rangers center back Derek Cornelius rejoining the official roster after recovering from injury—Canada's preparations remain hampered by fitness concerns. Alphonso Davies, Promise David, Alfie Jones, and Stephen Eustáquio are all unavailable for this camp, though they remain hopeful for World Cup selection and June's final preparation matches.
These fixtures represent Canada's inaugural official Tier 1 encounters of 2026, following January's 1–0 victory over Guatemala which was designated as a Tier 2 match.
Marsch and his coaching team will utilize these March encounters to assess Canada's remaining roster candidates, before June friendlies against World Cup-qualified Uzbekistan and playoff contenders Republic of Ireland prior to June 12's World Cup opener against either Italy, Northern Ireland, Wales, or Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
Will Cyle Larin and Ali Ahmed Bring English Form?
For the first time since his 2024 stint with La Liga's Real Valladolid, striker Cyle Larin enters a national team camp displaying exceptional form. After struggling to find the net for Mallorca and Feyenoord, he has netted three goals and provided one assist in 552 minutes since joining Southampton in England's second division.
Despite his 30 international goals placing him second in Canada's all-time scoring list, behind only Juventus striker Jonathan David, this camp holds crucial importance. He hasn't found the back of the net for Canada since October 15, 2024, across 11 appearances, and has been overtaken in the hierarchy by Villarreal's Tani Oluwaseyi and Royal Union Saint-Gilloise's David.
Promise isn't available for this camp, however, and Larin—surprisingly in some ways—represents Canada's most in-form established striker. Previously a crucial component in the 4-4-2 formation alongside David, this camp presents his chance to reclaim his position in the starting eleven. Anticipate him and Oluwaseyi sharing most minutes alongside David.
Ali Ahmed has also emerged as a Championship sensation following his winter transfer from the Whitecaps to Norwich City. He's been impressive with four goals and two assists across 11 matches and aims to solidify his left wing position further, having discovered his scoring ability for the first time professionally.
Center Back Battle Takes Focus
When fully fit, Canada possesses four established center backs for the World Cup: Bombito, Cornelius, Jones, and Luc De Fougerolles. This camp features three additional players competing for what's likely just one remaining spot on the final roster.
The primary uncertainties involve Chicago Fire's Joel Waterman, Portland Timbers' Kamal Miller, and Vancouver Whitecaps' Ralph Priso. Both Waterman and Miller featured in the 2022 World Cup squad but have since fallen down the depth chart.
Waterman holds the advantage, given his excellent and consistent performances for a rapidly improving Fire team that has scored four goals in four matches this season. He's proven reliable for Marsch, featuring in seven of the last nine games, while also providing greater height than Miller and more experience than Priso.
Priso only transitioned to the position late in the 2025 MLS season but impressed against some of the league's premier attackers, including Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga, and Lionel Messi. Though standing shorter at 6'0", his speed, defensive abilities, and passing skills as a former midfielder make him a contender, particularly after his strong performance against Guatemala.
Miller represents the biggest uncertainty. A dependable starter at the 2022 World Cup, his form has declined over the past year under manager Phil Neville with the Timbers, and he displayed tentative play for Canada in January.
All three fringe center backs should receive substantial playing time and face intense scrutiny during training. Waterman appears the likely fifth choice, but this represents Priso's opportunity to make an impression.
Form Matters for New Canada Striker, Debuts Await
Despite being the second-to-last camp before the World Cup, several players could earn their Canada debuts, with winger Marcelo Flores, striker Aribim Pepple, and goalkeeper Owen Goodman all awaiting their first international appearance.
Flores joins camp following a complicated international decision between Mexico and Canada. Previously capped twice for Mexico, he submitted a one-time switch request to represent Canada in February and is now fully eligible.
With three goals and one assist in 775 minutes across all competitions for Tigres in Liga MX, he's experiencing a successful campaign. These statistics, combined with Marsch's faith in his abilities, will likely earn him considerable playing time as a potential World Cup contributor.
Welcome home, Marcelo! 🏡
Marcelo Flores' one-time switch with FIFA has officially gone through: The Tigres UANL star can now play for the CanMNT 🇨🇦 instead of Mexico 🇲🇽 pic.twitter.com/rSv5XJtO4b
Pepple becomes the fifth former Canadian Premier League Cavalry FC player to reach the national team. After experiencing eight clubs across five seasons, he has scored 12 goals in 29 appearances with Plymouth Argyle in England's third tier this season. He demonstrates that Marsch prioritizes current form, even approaching the World Cup. The quality in this camp will exceed anything the 23-year-old has previously encountered.
Goodman maintains his advantage for the third goalkeeper spot. He was recently selected for the EFL League One Team of the Week and plays regularly at age 22. It would be difficult for anyone else to surpass him for World Cup selection.