Looking back at Canada's 2022 FIFA World Cup

When Canada takes the field in Toronto on June 12, 2026 at BMO Field, it will mark the first time the team has participated in a second-straight FIFA World Cup.

Prior to the late fall tournament in 2022 in Qatar, Canadian soccer fans were forced to wait 36 agonizing years to watch their men's team take on the world's best.

After a qualification cycle that saw Canada emerge as the CONCACAF Cinderella to top the confederation, there was perhaps a sense that everything after that was gravy. Canada was just happy to be in Qatar. Sharing a pitch with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric was an honour in itself. It won't be that way next summer. Canada will not be at the World Cup to make up a number. They will be there to make some noise.

But before 2026, a look back at how 2022 played out in Qatar.

Kevin De Bruyne Jonathan Osorio Belgium Canada

November 23, 2022 - Canada 0, Belgium 1

Canada opened up its 2022 World Cup against one of the most enigmatic and frustrating teams in world football in Belgium. The Red Devils entered the tournament with their "golden generation" desperate to claim its first hardware. A third-place finish at Russia 2018 was followed up by a disappointing exit in the quarters at Euro 2020. For the likes of De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, the dream of a major honour was dwindling in a hurry.

Their match with Canada couldn't have gotten off to a worse start. In the seventh minute, Richie Laryea bullied Yannick Carrasco off of the ball and found Tajon Buchanan down the right. The Brampton, Ont. winger's service for Jonathan David was good, but his effort was blocked by Leander Dendoncker. From the ensuing Junior Hoilett corner, the ball fell for Buchanan whose effort was deflected out of harm's way. But Buchanan immediately motioned to the referee for a handball check. A call came down from VAR for the referee to take a look at the pitchside monitor. The replay showed that Buchanan's effort was deflected by the outstretched hand of Carrasco and the penalty was given.

Oddly, it was Alphonso Davies who stepped up to the spot to take the penalty and not one of the team's regular penalty takers. Davies' penalty was a poor one as Courtois dived to his left and easily parried away. The moment was hugely deflating for a Canada team that started the match so brightly. The save put the wind back in Belgium's sails.

With the Red Devils firmly on the front foot, Kamal Miller did well to deny Michy Batshuayi in the 23rd. Then in the 30th, a rare sortie forward by Canada ended with Courtois denying a hard drive at an angle from Alistair Johnston. Minutes later. Hoilett floated a cross to David at the far post, but he couldn't get any purchase on to his headed effort that went harmlessly wide.

With Canada holding on in the half's closing minutes, the dam finally broke. A deep ball from his own half by Toby Alderweireld split the Canada backline and Batshuayi was able to poke past Milan Borjan for a 1-0 lead in the 44th. It was hard to argue that the lead wasn't deserved.

Canada almost hit back immediately in stoppage, but Buchanan managed to redirect Laryea's cross well over the bar.

Canada came close to an equalizer in the opening minutes of the second half. Stephen Eustaquio nutmegged De Bruyne before sending in a fine cross to the far post for David who headed wide.

In the 66th, Miller was a thorn in Batshuayi's side again when his perfectly timed slide tackle prevented the former Liverpool man from going in alone on Borjan, intercepting service from De Bruyne. Seconds later, Batshuayi was denied another good scoring chance thanks to the late intervention of Laryea. Canada's best chance to even things came in the 80th. Johnston whipped a cross into the area that was met by a powerful Cyle Larin header to force a diving save out of Courtois.

The Red Devils would see out the remaining time to claim a nervy three points.

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Ivan Perisic Croatia Alistair Johnston Canada

November 27, 2022 - Croatia 4, Canada 1

If there was a moral victory to be had in Canada's opening loss to Belgium, it was that they could hang with a European giant. There were points in that match where Canada was clearly the superior side. Of course, in a World Cup, moral victories aren't worth anything. John Herdman's squad knew that a loss in their second match would end their tournament hopes.

Next up for Canada was a wily Croatia side. Runners-up in Russia, losing 4-2 to France, there was certainly an air of vulnerability to Croatia heading into Qatar. Coming off of an appearance in the 2018 World Cup Final, Croatia followed that up with a Round of 16 exit at Euro 2020. Was this team past it? Well, they entered the tournament with only a single defeat in their past 17 matches, but talisman Luka Modric was 37 and very likely playing in his last World Cup. Winger Ivan Perisic was 33 and Ivan Rakitic ended his international career in 2019. Croatia opened up their tournament with a scoreless draw with Morocco in the other Group F contest.

Like they did against the Red Devils, Canada started brightly against Croatia and they were rewarded for it in just the second minute. Sprinting down the right, Buchanan whipped a cross into the area. Davies beat Josip Juranovic to the ball and thumped a header into the net to make it 1-0. After being blanked in three group-stage games at Mexico 1986 and in the opener against Belgium, the goal was Canada's first ever at a World Cup.

As Croatia grew into the game, they fired a warning shot across Canada's bow in the 26th. Andrej Kramaric beat Borjan with a low drive, but the flag had gone up because Marko Livaja was adjudged to have been offside in the build-up and no goal was given. Only seconds later, Borjan would do well to shut the door on Livaja as the Croatian pressure began to build in earnest.

Kramaric would get his goal in the 36th. Played in by Perisic, the Hoffenheim forward beat Borjan from a sharp angle to make it 1-1. Questions could be asked of Borjan on the goal.

Croatia kept coming and would take the lead before the half. After some sloppy defending from Canada, the ball came to Livaja to slot past Borjan in the 44th to make it 2-1.

Minutes into the second half, Canada was almost level through a moment of magic from Jonathan Osorio. Unleashing a curling effort from just outside the area, the Toronto FC midfielder just missed putting inside the far post in the 49th.

Borjan made his best stop of the match in the 54th. Coming down the right, Borna Sosa sent a picture-perfect ball almost to the spot for Kramaric who was robbed by Borjan's dive. Kramaric fell to his knees in disbelief.

Canada would come close again minutes later. In a move started by the lively Osorio, Buchanan teed up David from just outside the box, but his hard shot was poked over the bar by Dominik Livakovic.

Croatia would snuff out any hope of a Canada comeback in the 70th when Perisic found Kramaric inside the area. The scorer of the team's opening goal bagged himself a brace by giving himself some room around Miller and dragging a low shot that caught Borjan stationary to make it 3-1. Croatia would another in stoppage when a Miller slip-up allowed a 2-v-0 and Mislav Orsic set up Lovro Majer to hammer past a helpless Borjan to round out the scoring at 4-1.

Canada was officially eliminated after two losses in two matches.

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Morocco Canada World Cup

December 1, 2022 - Canada 1, Morocco 2

Canada headed into the final match of Group F play in the position that no team wants to find themselves in at a World Cup: playing for pride. Already eliminated after two losses, Canada was only left to play spoiler against an unheralded Morocco side that had themselves on the precipice of the knockout round after following up an opening match draw with Croatia with a 2-0 smash-and-grab win over Belgium on two late goals from Romain Saiss and Zakaria Aboukhlal. Walid Regragui's Atlas Lions needed only a point from Canada to advance to the Round of 16 for the first time in 36 years.

Unlike the previous two matchups, it wasn't Canada who started out on the front foot. Only four minutes in, Morocco was ahead thanks in large part to horrible gaffes by the Canada back end. Under pressure from Youssef En-Nesyri, Steven Vitoria completely misjudged his back pass to Borjan and got the weight all wrong. This forced Borjan to come well off of his line to intervene. Borjan's goal kick was a very poor one and fell right to Hakim Ziyech to calmly volley into the empty net to make it 1-0.

Canada nearly equalized in the 15th when Larin got a step on Sofyan Amrabat and tried to feed Buchanan at the far post, but his ball skipped over his outstretched leg.

En-Nesyri then got his goal in the 23rd. Played in down the right by Achraf Hakimi, the Sevilla striker split Vitoria and Miller and beat Borjan from an angle to make it 2-0. Once again, questions could be asked of Borjan's reaction to the shot.

Canada would pull one back before halftime. Sam Adekugbe raced down the left, did well to get around Hakimi and spotted an unmarked Larin running at goal. Nayef Aguerd attempted to intercept the pass, but the West Ham man ended redirecting it between the near post and goalkeeper Yassine "Bono" Bounou to make it 2-1 and give Canada life in the 40th. En-Nesyri thought he got a second in second-half stoppage from a free kick, but that was ruled off by the linesman, who spotted Aguerd offside in the lead-up.

After the second half began largely devoid of action, Canada had a tremendous chance to equalize in the 71st. Captain Atiba Hutchinson was first to a Hoilett corner and his powerful header hit the crossbar and went straight down, coming perilously close to crossing the line. Johnston was fastest to the rebound, but he headed the ball just over the bar. It would be the closest that either team would come to another goal with the match finishing on the 2-1 scoreline. Canada would go home, while Morocco's Cinderella run would continue all the way to the semifinals before ultimately falling to France.