TORONTO — The Canadian men’s soccer team kicked off a new four-year cycle Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over Chile in an international friendly at BMO Field.
It was the first game for the host side since falling to Morocco in the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup.
Jonathan David scored the lone goal and Dayne St. Clair earned the clean sheet.
The Canadian lineup was missing some key players for the first of three friendlies over the next fortnight. Captain Alphonso Davies (honeymoon), defender Derek Cornelius (hip) and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau (personal) were unavailable.
David wore the captain’s armband for 30th-ranked Canada. He was joined up top by Cyle Larin, who scored in the Canadian team’s first World Cup game here on June 12, a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
The match billed as “The Homecoming” began with a ceremony to honour the World Cup squad, which qualified for the knockout stage for the first time and beat South Africa 1-0 in the Round of 32.
Chile, the world No. 49, did not qualify for the World Cup. The South American country’s last appearance in the tournament came in 2014.
Canada was on the front foot early and was rewarded when David tallied in the 12th minute.
Ralph Priso started the play with a long ball to winger Jacob Shaffelburg, who found Larin with a cross. Goalkeeper Christian Bravo stopped Larin’s initial shot but the rebound floated across the goalmouth and David tapped it in with his left foot.
David raised a No. 13 Cornelius jersey in the air as he returned to the sideline. Cornelius was hurt during a training session earlier in the week.
Chilean midfielder Lucas Cepeda was shown a red card in the 35th minute after getting tangled up with Canadian defender Richie Laryea.
As Cepeda was pulled down, his leg came upward with his boot catching Laryea on the side of the head. The contact drew blood near the eyebrow but Laryea stayed in the game after receiving medical attention.
Canada caught a break moments later when Niko Sigur was knocked down and St. Clair was caught out of the area. Chile’s Jonathan Villagra had a chance to lift the ball into the empty net from distance but he put it over the bar.
Chile was down to nine men just four minutes into the second half. Gabriel Suazo got the red after he was shown a second yellow card. His forearm caught Sigur in the head as they jumped for a ball.
Canada pressed with the two-man advantage but the Chilean backline held firm.
Jovan Ivanisevic made his national men’s team debut as a wave of substitutes came on in the 62nd minute.
Junior Hoilett, in his final appearance with the squad, subbed in in the 76th minute. He was honoured for his 11-year run with the national team after the game.
A Laryea strike from distance in the 84th minute hit the post.
Head coach Jesse Marsch said Canada has set a long-term goal of reaching the top 24 in the world rankings as it looks to qualify for the 2030 World Cup in Portugal, Morocco and Spain.
Next up is an Oct. 3 friendly in Montreal against No. 50 Peru. Canada will visit the 16th-ranked United States on Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minn.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2026.
Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press
