TORONTO — With a new four-year cycle at hand, Canadian men’s soccer coach Jesse Marsch says the team has set a long-term goal of reaching the top 24 in the world rankings as it aims to qualify for the next FIFA World Cup.
Marsch says that would give Canada a seeding in the second pool of teams and a better chance of drawing a more manageable group at the 2030 tournament.
The 30th-ranked national side will play No. 49 Chile in an international friendly Saturday night at Toronto’s BMO Field.
It will be Canada’s first game since falling to Morocco in the round of 16 at the World Cup last summer. It was the first time Canada had reached the knockout stage of the tournament.
Canada captain Alphonso Davies (honeymoon) was not named to the 26-man roster. Defender Derek Cornelius (hip) and midfielder Jeevan Badwal (hamstring) are also out after recently suffering injuries.
Canada will entertain Peru in another friendly in Montreal on Oct. 3 before taking on the United States in St. Paul, Minn., on Oct. 6.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2026.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
