The Canadian national soccer team continues to go through the full range of emotions in the 2026 World Cup.
The team earned its first point in World Cup play when it drew with Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 on home turf in Toronto on June 12. Then on Thursday, the Canadians blistered Qatar 6-0 to control their own destiny in Group B.
But the victory came with some significant costs.
Starting midfielder Ismael Kone suffered a fractured leg against Qatar and will miss the remainder of the tournament. The loss of the 24-year-old star shook up both players and staff of the squad.
On Sunday, it was revealed that Canada’s vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio missed training in Vancouver. He was not seen when training began, but was expected to rejoin the team later in the day.
Kone’s running mate in the midfield, Eustaquio played every minute versus Qatar and wore the captain’s armband in both matches.
The 29-year-old, who competes for Los Angeles FC in MLS, did not show any signs of an injury during the match and Canada Soccer did not provide a reason for Eustaquio’s absence.
Team captain Alphonso Davies, who has not played while recovering from a hamstring injury, did train and, according to coach Jesse Marsch, will continue to do so leading up to Wednesday’s critical match.
“We’ll put him through a good training regimen this week and then evaluate how he fits in for Switzerland,” Marsch said of Davies, “but he’s getting closer and closer to 100%, that’s for sure.”
Should Canada win or tie with the Swiss, they would move in the Round of 32. They are currently ahead of Switzerland with a plus-six goal differential, compared to plus-3 for their counterparts.
Central defender Alfie Jones will likely miss his third consecutive game on Wednesday as he recovers from an ankle injury.
–Field Level Media
