Canada and Qatar Both Need Their First World Cup Win. Someone Has to Get It Friday.

Two teams. Zero World Cup wins between them. That’s the setup for Friday’s Group B matchup in the 2026 World Cup, where co-host Canada takes on Qatar. Both sides came from behind to draw their openers — Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar against Switzerland — but a draw only buys you so much time in a group stage.

The big story for Canada is Alphonso Davies. The Bayern Munich left-back missed the first game with an injury, and there’s been plenty of chatter about whether he’d be ready for this one. Canada coach Jesse Marsch hinted Davies could make a cameo appearance. That’s the kind of thing that gets a home crowd buzzing, especially when you consider Davies hasn’t had a clean run of health in what feels like forever. The 25-year-old just wrapped up another injury-heavy season in Germany, and reports are already floating around that Bayern is lining up Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown as a potential replacement. None of that matters right now though. What matters is whether Davies can give Canada a spark off the bench.

Marsch made two changes to the lineup that started the Bosnia game. Ali Ahmed and forward Cyle Larin come into the XI. Larin is Canada’s all-time leading scorer, so having him out there from the whistle is a clear signal they’re chasing three points. There’s no hiding from the pressure of being a co-host either. The crowd in Toronto will expect a win.

Qatar’s approach is different. Coach Julen Lopetegui is rolling with the exact same eleven that held Switzerland to a 1-1 draw. That’s a vote of confidence, but it also means Qatar is betting that continuity beats chasing adjustments. They’ve got Afif and Edmilson Junior out wide, and if Canada gets too aggressive, those two have the pace to punish a high line.

Here’s the full starting XIs for Friday:

Canada XI: Crepeau; Johnston, De Fougerolles, Cornelius, Laryea; Buchanan, Kone, Eustaquio (c), Ahmed; David, Larin

Qatar XI: Abunada; Al-Oui, Pedro Miguel, Khoukhi (c), Al Amin; Madibo, Laye, Gaber; Edmilson Junior, Abdurisag, Afif

This is the kind of game where a moment decides everything. Maybe it’s Davies checking in and turning a game. Maybe Qatar nicks a set piece goal and parks the bus. The only guarantee is one of these teams walks off the field with a first-ever World Cup win. The other keeps waiting.