Not just hockey: How Canadian football is making its way to the World Cup
While hockey remains Canada’s number one sport for now, football is rapidly gaining momentum. Much depends on the upcoming World Cup.
Canada is the only team in the CONCACAF confederation that has not lost a single World Cup qualifying game. After beating Costa Rica 1-0, they have come very close to the cherished dream of qualifying for the Mundial. A few years ago, such an achievement seemed impossible.
Key players to watch
When Canadians discuss what will be the impetus for the soccer bet industry in the country, everyone talks about the World Cup in 2026. But that view is not shared by young stars Alfonso Davies and Jonathan David, who are ready to make things happen yesterday.
Nor is the coach with whom Englishman John Herdman has been associated with the progress of football Canada. He previously worked with the Canadian women’s national team. Thanks to Herdman, the Maple Leafs are very close to playing in the World Cup for the first time since 1986 (it was their only appearance in the final).
Canada tops North American selection for 2022 World Cup
At least three representatives from North America will play in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. Maybe four, but that would require an intercontinental playoff.
The selection on the other side of the Atlantic takes place in three stages. In the first phase, 30 national teams were divided into six groups. However, the top five teams according to the FIFA ranking were left out in this phase. Group winners qualified for the second leg, in which three pairs were formed. The winners of these matches would advance to the third round on aggregate.
In the second leg El Salvador defeated St Kitts and Nevis, Canada was stronger than Haiti and Panama beat Curacao.
So the trio of El Salvador, Canada and Panama joined the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras. The eight play each in two rounds. The first three will receive a trip to the World Cup, the fourth team will play in the already mentioned continental play-offs. Bookmaker VulkanBet supports all teams in the competition, including Canada.
Who leads
As of today, eight rounds have been played. Team Canada is leading the tournament, having not yet lost a single match. They have four wins and four draws to their credit. In particular, Canada defeated the national team of Mexico 2-1. Besiktas forward Kyle Larin netted the hat-trick, but the Canadian team’s big guns now include the aforementioned Bayern Munich’s Alfonso Davies and Lille’s Jonathan David.
Canada managed to beat the USA as they failed to beat Jamaica – a 1-1 draw. Rounding out the top three is Mexico, who have lost two games in a row (before Canada’s failure to play the USA). Panama has the same number of points as the Mexicans. Costa Rica, in fifth place, seem to have only a theoretical chance playing in the Mundial again.
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