Canada’s national men’s soccer team did something Thursday it had never done before: win a World Cup match. And the entire country seems to have watched it happen.
The 6-0 demolition of Qatar drew 5.3 million viewers in Canada alone, according to TSN. That’s more than 10 percent of the population. Another 6.4 million people worldwide tuned in, bringing the total unique audience to 11.7 million. The Athletic’s Lukas Weese called the number incredible, and it’s hard to argue.
The game was the most-watched group stage match in Canadian men’s national team history by a significant margin. Which makes sense when you consider the context: Canada hadn’t won a World Cup game in its entire existence before Thursday. The stakes were real, and the result was decisive.
Striker Jonathan David became the first Canadian ever to score a hat trick in a World Cup match. Cyle Larin, Nathan Saliba, and Mohammed Manai added the other three goals. It was a blowout from start to finish, and Canadian fans ate it up.
What’s Next for Canada in Group B
The win set up a massive final group stage game against Switzerland on Wednesday, June 24. Both teams are tied with four points. The winner takes Group B and advances to the round of 32. The loser doesn’t go home — both teams are likely through — but seeding matters at this stage.
Canada has never advanced past the group stage in World Cup history. That could change in a matter of days. The momentum from Thursday’s performance, combined with the domestic viewing numbers, suggests the country’s soccer fever isn’t cooling off anytime soon.
Whether that translates into on-field results against a disciplined Swiss side is another question. But for now, Canadian soccer has a historic win and a TV rating that backs it up.
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