TORONTO — Cyle Larin remains singularly focused on the task at hand.
The veteran striker is in the mix to start Canada’s first-ever World Cup match on home soil when the team emerges from the tunnel and into a sea of red-clad fans Friday afternoon.
The moment the country steps onto the Toronto Stadium pitch will undoubtedly stick with the players for a long time.
Larin also just went through a roller-coaster professional season he won’t soon forget.
The Brampton, Ont., product struggled with Feyenoord in the Netherlands before agreeing to a loan deal with Southampton of England’s second-tier Championship division in January.
Larin hit the ground running on the circuit one rung below the Premier League, finishing with nine goals across 22 matches in all competitions as the club surged toward promotion.
A headline-grabbing scandal then derailed those plans in short order.
Southampton was kicked out of a lucrative playoff — a victory would have been worth at least $370 million in future earnings — after admitting to unauthorized filming of other teams’ practices.
Larin said Wednesday, ahead of his country’s opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina, that the situation was difficult for everyone associated with the club.
“We put in so much work,” he said following a training session on Toronto’s windswept northern boundary. “Since I’ve been there, I didn’t lose a game. It was special what we did … to be taken away from you after you played two games and beat a team, it’s hard. I think for any player, for the fans, it was hard.
“Next season we’ll do the same thing. We have the quality.”
Larin showed his quality — and scoring touch — with Southampton after bagging just one goal in 15 appearances in the Dutch top division to earn a permanent deal for the next two seasons on England’s south coast.
“It’s been a crazy last six months,” he said. “I’ve always shown when I played games, I scored goals. I went to Southampton to do that, and I’ve shown that. That was the main thing … to play games and score goals (and) be in form coming into the World Cup.”
Larin will be counted on to provide offence for Canada — currently ranked 30th in the world by FIFA — along with fellow forward Jonathan David for a men’s national team that has had difficulty finding the range from open play in the buildup to the global showcase
Larin has scored 30 times in 90 appearances for Canada, but he’s connected just once over his last 17 starts with No. 65 Bosnia-Herzegovina on deck.
“I think it will come,” said Larin, who put up 14 goals for his country in 2021 alone. “We just have to keep doing what we do, and then guys just give us the ball, and we’ll score. If we get the chance — when we get the chance — we’ll put the ball in the back of the net.”
Canadian defender Derek Cornelius said the big-bodied striker’s value is underrated for a nation appearing at just its third World Cup.
“Been around for a very long time,” he said. “Brings experience, he brings a lot to how we can play in his holdup play, in his ability to finish.”
“A very important part of this team,” added midfielder Tajon Buchanan. “He’s scored big goals in big moments … we’re gonna need him at his best level.”
Larin, meanwhile, appreciates the faith head coach Jesse Marsch has shown despite a long offensive dry spell with the red Maple Leaf on his chest as Canada searches for its first-ever World Cup victory.
“My relationship’s been good with him,” Larin said. “Once I start getting the chances to score, I’ll score. If the ball’s played to me, I’ll score. I showed that in my club.”
Now it’s up to the Canadians to show up in their backyard under an intense microscope.
“Just gonna take in where I’ve come from, where this team has come from,” Larin said of Friday. “I’ve been here for like 11, 12 years. From my first game playing, it’s a lot different than now. It’s gonna be special for me, the fans, the guys here.
“For Canada and Canadian history.”
SICK BAY
Alphonso Davies, who is unlikely to play Friday, continued rehab work at training as he works back from a hamstring injury suffered last month playing for German giants Bayern Munich.
Fellow defenders Moïse Bombito (leg) and Ralph Priso (hamstring) were also away from the main group doing individual drills, while midfielder Ismaël Koné was absent from the session.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2026.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
