Canada World Cup mailbag: Can Jesse Marsch’s side win the biggest match in their history?

The Athletic has live coverage of South Africa vs. Canada at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Canada’s men’s national team play the biggest match in their history, their first World Cup knockout game, against South Africa in Los Angeles on Sunday (12noon PT, 3pm ET, 8pm UK).

To get The Athletic’s loyal Canada readers ready, we took mailbag questions from subscribers about what comes next in Canada’s World Cup.

Thank you to all those who responded. We couldn’t answer them all but here is a selection below — and if you’re not following our Canada men’s national team coverage (you’re missing out!) then you can add it here.

What are Canada’s chances of beating South Africa and what tactics should they employ to do it? (Roland C.)

Let’s start with the question likely on many people’s minds: can Canada actually do it?

A few things have to break right for Canada to beat South Africa. But I like Canada’s chances of ticking off those boxes and leaving Los Angeles with their first men’s World Cup knockout round win. And to answer the question, they probably shouldn’t change much to do just that.

The key is going to be getting production from Canada’s forwards. South Africa barely find the back of the net. They scored just 15 goals in 10 World Cup qualifying games, good for 16th of 54 teams. Then, through the three group-stage games, South Africa only scored twice. Sure, they employ more of a defensive approach, but the point remains: if the likes of Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Promise David can combine for multiple goals, that should be enough for Canada to get through.

It’s time for Jonathan David and Canada’s forward line to fire (Fran Santiago / Getty Images)

And let’s be honest about where they’re at: Canada’s attack has created strong chances and have done reasonably well. Jonathan David’s 2.6 expected goals is fourth in the World Cup. Larin and Promise David have shown they can convert. Maybe one of the changes Jesse Marsch might make is bringing Promise David into the game as a substitute earlier than he did against Switzerland (the 74th minute).

Marsch isn’t going to drop a bomb on his tactical plan this late in the tournament. I think Canada has flirted with the idea of starting three forwards at some point in the group stage but now doesn’t feel like the right time to make significant changes.

I don’t want to make this overly simplistic but: South Africa doesn’t score much. If Canada can, the round of 16 might await.

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Canada has zero goals off 30 corners. Shouldn’t this be a bigger story? By today’s standards, we should have converted 5-6 of those into goals, 3-4 at a bare minimum. Teams like Canada don’t have tournament runs if they’re not getting something from their indirect set pieces. (Paul P.)

The other way of looking at this is: maybe they’re due?

Canada is missing some size and power, crucial on corners, in Moise Bombito (6ft 2ins or 1.9m). The centre-back could be important in the box off a corner, should set-piece coach Nicolas Gagnon want him in there.

Still, I haven’t always loved Canada’s delivery from corners. The jittery nature of Canada’s first game in Toronto seemed to send corner kicks off the mark. And Switzerland’s defenders did a stellar job of neutralizing Canadian attackers on Canada’s seven corner kicks in their final group-stage game.

Whether it’s Stephen Eustaquio, Mathieu Choiniere or Ali Ahmed, it’s worth keeping an eye on how well Canada send corners into the box. Gagnon has, and will, put plenty of time during training sessions into set-piece practice.

Are Stephen Eustaquio and Canada due a goal from a corner kick? (Sarah Stier / FIFA via Getty Images)

Given the way South Africa might sit back and try to absorb pressure, it feels possible Canada will once again get their fair share of corner kicks. Getting it right will be one of the steps necessary to progress.

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While he has the odd moment, I would characterize (Tajon Buchanan’s) play as mostly lacklustre for a fair while now. Any chance we could see (Ali) Ahmed starting on the right with (Liam) Millar in against Bafana Bafana? (Jordy)

OK, Canada’s wingers: I thought Millar changed the pace of the game when he entered as a substitute against Switzerland. And he had consistent flashes against Bosnia and Herzegovina by advancing the ball well. But the final product was missing.

Ahmed was a thrilling substitute against Bosnia but his game has since dipped slightly. That was sort of surprising considering he was playing the second and third matches in a stadium he knew so well in BC Place. Ahmed has not done enough to create chances. He’s seventh among Canadians in defensive line-breaks attempted. That number needs to be higher, given Ahmed’s cunning and skill on the ball.

Then, Buchanan: yes, Jordy, his play at the World Cup has been a bit of a head-scratcher so far. And that’s largely because he raised the bar so high during the 2022 World Cup, where he was Canada’s most aggressive and impactful player. But after three games this time, Buchanan has not logged a goal or an assist, or used his quality to get towards the box as dangerously as he has in the past. It’s not as if he hasn’t beaten defenders, it’s just the direct movement towards the goal that I haven’t seen enough of.

“I’m very critical of myself. I think I could always improve,” Buchanan said when asked about his own game. “But I think I’ve been able to show my confidence, my aggression to make a difference in the final third. It’s just about taking each game one at a time and learning from different situations. And as a player, I think I could always improve and that’s what I strive to do.”

I was so high on Sigur’s chances of making an impression at this World Cup, either at right-back or in the midfield, that I suggested Sigur as one of the Canadians to watch for our incredible “Stars of Soccer” series. We know the coaching staff saw him as a possibility to play at right-back.

Outside of seven minutes at the end of the blowout against Qatar, Sigur has not seen the pitch. He hasn’t even looked in contention.

Niko Sigur’s minutes have been limited so far (Christopher Morris / ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Why? Well, let’s start with the fact that Canada’s starting centre-back, Alistair Johnston, has quietly had a remarkable World Cup. He’s pushed the ball forward, recovered well and been physical where he needs to be. It felt like Johnston fell out of favour with Canadian fans for a while, likely because of injury. But Canada are not out of the group stage without Johnston.

And with that, some of Sigur’s possible minutes have disappeared.

Maybe Sigur should have started at defensive midfield with Eustaquio out of the starting lineup against Switzerland, but I’m not sure if Marsch loves Sigur at defensive midfield as much as he does at right-back. I would’ve thought Marsch would’ve gone for Sigur because his brain is wired to be creative with the ball, and Canada needed goals. But the set-piece quality Mathieu Choiniere brought, combined with his experience, likely led to him winning out on the day.

Otherwise, it’s worth noting that Sigur hasn’t looked as impactful in training as he has been in the past. That’s just an observation. He’s a little more reserved, to my eyes. Sigur is at his best when intensity is part of his approach.

Luc De Fougerolles has been a revelation through the group stage. Despite his youth, he has at times looked like the team’s best CB. Assuming a healthy Moise Bombito remains No. 1 on the CB depth chart, has Luc done enough to displace Derek Cornelius at No. 2? Any insight regarding his chances to stick at Fulham this upcoming season? (Adam W.)

If everyone was healthy on this Canada roster right now (and then we’d have a lot of different things to discuss) De Fougerolles has a strong case to be No. 2 on Canada’s centre-back depth chart. His aggressiveness in 50/50 balls, ability to play the ball forward to all the right places and positional intelligence are just part of what make him an unquestioned starter, even at the age of 20.

Here’s the thing: once it was clear he wouldn’t stumble in his first taste of the World Cup, De Fougerolles hit a level of confidence he hasn’t stepped down from.

I do wonder what the centre-back picture would look like if Alfie Jones was healthy, too. Jesse Marsch is a big fan.

Now, Derek Cornelius had a strong first half against Switzerland. He looked in command of the position. I don’t want to write him off. His composure in what could be a testy game against South Africa will matter.

The likelihood of Bombito playing legitimate minutes against South Africa feels higher than it has been throughout the World Cup. How Marsch approaches the centre-back position will be fascinating: could he go with a safer, more reliable partner for Bombito in Cornelius or look to push the tempo with De Fougerolles?

De Fougerolles just brings an aggressiveness on the ball that Marsch wants to see, but injuries have complicated things to the point that it’s difficult to get an accurate read.

De Fougerolles hugs Cyle Larin after the striker’s opening goal against Qatar (Fran Santiago / Getty Images)

Still, what I’ve been saying to anyone who will listen throughout the World Cup: De Fougerolles has future Canada captain written all over him. His poise, maturity and obvious quality make him seem like the kind of centre-back who could play the next 12 to 15 years for Canada and pass 100 caps, no problem.

That may seem like some sort of hyperbole, but we should recognize how well such a young player has done in such a difficult position, particularly given what happened to Ismaël Koné.

Fulham will very likely want to keep De Fougerolles around, in part because of what he showed through the World Cup. But playing games in the Premier League? I’m less certain of that: Fulham had one defender under the age of 20 on their roster last year and he did not play a single minute.

I think the world of De Fougerolles but even I’ll admit playing consistently in the Premier League next season might be too big a leap for him, right now. What about a loan move up the ladder from his previous stop in Belgium? Germany, perhaps? Playing young players is not a fear there.

My understanding is that interest in De Fougerolles from clubs hasn’t heated up just yet. But that doesn’t mean it won’t towards the end of the summer.