The draw for the men's world championship in Washington was going well for Canada until pot four.
Instead of one of the weaker teams, Canada played a draw with the winner of the UEFA Play-off A, which will meet favorite Italy, 12thth-Team of the World, which will take on Wales, Bosnia and Northern Ireland in March.
Canada has already played 17th– Switzerland in the ranking and 51st placest.-Qatar's rating, a relatively favorable choice in an area of greater opportunity.
But the specter of facing Italy (no less than Team Canada's opener in Toronto on June 12) left head coach Jesse Marsh with a grim face in the semi-darkness of the Kennedy Center, his arms folded tightly across his chest.
By the time he spoke after that, he was starting to get better. He said he was not upset about the ordeal. He enjoys preparing and now won't know his first opponent until March, when Italy and 21 other teams will compete for the remaining six spots in the expanded 48-team tournament.
“I just didn’t want to wait to find out,” he said. “It's a shame, I'll have to be a little patient. It's a little awkward, but whatever. It's the World Cup, man. Let's get ready. Let's get ready to go.”
Signe Butler is joined by Canadian soccer player Dwayne De Rosario to give instant reactions to Canada's World Cup group! What does this draw mean for 2026? Did Canada receive a favorable group? Who poses the threats? Who should the fans care? DeRoe tells it all with passion, insight, and some bold predictions.
The morning was already nervous enough.
A huge security perimeter was established around the Kennedy Center. Dignitaries including US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in their motorcades under heavy snow and under the watch of heavy security, including an army of Secret Service agents.
In the hours before the draw, Washington, D.C. was a city of sirens.
On such a momentous day – the precursor to the largest sporting event on Earth – the tension only increased. Co-hosts Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum, as well as FIFA President Gianni Infantino, valiantly tried to enliven and amuse the crowd.
“We want to have fun,” Infantino said, as if he needed to remind the audience to relax. “We want to have fun.”
Finally, it was time for a parade of iconic athletes, including Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady and Shaquille O'Neal, to begin playing out the 48 balls, each containing a ribbon with the name of a different team.
Some 900 journalists from around the world watched as their country's fortunes changed with each draw, each choice met with a chorus of applause or groans.
Canada, an early entry into Group B, was in Pot 1 only because it co-hosted the tournament with the United States and Mexico. According to FIFA estimates, 27ththCanadians with -rank would normally be in pot 3.
It's an unfortunate truth, but every country from Morocco to New Zealand wanted to be in Group B, given Canada's relative weakness as a top team. The alternative was the world's greatest football teams, including Argentina, France, Spain and England.
The prize went to Switzerland. Canada could have had worse draws – Croatia and Colombia among them – but the result against the Swiss in the last game of the group stage will have to be earned.
“We are happy,” said Swiss head coach Murat Yakin. “We have a tough game ahead of us against Canada and we’re looking forward to it.”
“In the second pot, all these opponents are going to be a big problem,” Marsh said. “Because we play the ball very intensely, this could be a good match for us.”
Qatar was close to being the perfect choice for Canada in Pot 3. The 2022 hosts became the first team to be eliminated from their own World Cup, with only Saudi Arabia and South Africa finishing lower.
“I didn't want Norway,” Marsh said. “The fact that we didn't get Norway made me happy.”
Basket 4 followed.
Qatar's selection denied Jordan a chance to go to Canada, which also couldn't play in Haiti, Curacao or any other FIFA playoff draw because Jamaica and Suriname compete there.
This leaves the bottom three teams – Cape Verde, Ghana and New Zealand – or one of the UEFA playoff draws.
The fateful choice was made by none other than Gretzky. When he opened the ball and unfurled the ribbon revealing Canada's plight, it seemed like the worst possible outcome.
After night had fallen and the Kennedy Center had emptied – after politicians and celebrities had gone home and football fans around the world were forced to consider their options – Marsh had nearly completed his more optimistic calculations.
Italy have been a mystery and their exit from the knockout stages is not certain.
But if the Italians survive, and if the Canadians in red end up facing the men in blue, June 12 will be a day to remember in Toronto.
“I think the Italy game would be outstanding, especially the first game at home,” Marsh said, sounding a little unexpected, as if he believed it. “I know there will be a lot of Italian-Canadians at the match and they should be rooting for Canada, that’s all I’m saying.”
And with these words Jesse Marsh regained his broad smile. He heard the pleas, including his own. He turned to his own business.
It's the World Cup, man. It's time to have some fun. It's time to enjoy.
