FIFA World Cup dreams shattered for Canadian soccer player
Canada will be without one of their most promising young players for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It’s been an anxious few months as players try to stay healthy for the World Cup, but the injury bug has continued to plague the Canadian Men’s National Team. Just weeks before they are set to open up the tournament in Toronto, midfielder Marcelo Flores went down with a brutal-looking injury on Saturday.
Flores had recently been named to Canada’s World Cup roster this past week.
Georgetown, ON's Marcelo Flores suffered a non-contact knee injury in the Concacaf Champions Cup Final. The midfielder was named to CANMNT's #FIFAWorldCup squad on Friday.
If Flores is to miss the World Cup due to injury, Canada has a provisional squad of 55 players they can useā¦ pic.twitter.com/SyjiUHXykO
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 31, 2026
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed on Sunday that the 22-year-old Flores will miss the entirety of the World Cup with a ruptured ACL.
A replacement will need to be named ahead of the tournament.
“Marcelo had an ACL rupture last night, so he will be out,” Marsch said. “We’re devastated for him. We all watched it last night, and we were all hoping for the best.
“We’re obviously disappointed for him… We were all fearing that he would have something like this…. Our hearts are with him; he’s in good spirits.”
CanMNT šØš¦ head coach Jesse Marsch on Marcelo Flores' ACL injury šļø
"We're devastated for him." pic.twitter.com/KkALJGgU6b
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 31, 2026
It’s a big loss for the Canadian squad, and a decision will need to be made on how to properly replace him. Marsch mentioned players like Daniel Jebbison and Junior Hoillett could be among the options considered.
Flores also took to social media to post about the disappointing news. It was a heartbreaking message thanking everyone for their support.
“Sorry I haven’t gotten back to anyone yet, really tough times, my ACL is gone,” Flores wrote. “I just wanted to say thank you to everyone and all the messages. I haven’t been on my phone or checked messages, but I promise to get around to everyone.
“I really appreciate the concerns. I’ll be back stronger.”
@10marceloflores/Instagram
This is just the latest injury for the Canadian team, as there are also concerns over the health of star Alphonso Davies and forward Promise David.
Canada is set to open up its World Cup schedule on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. Before that, the Canadian team will face off against Uzbekistan on Monday in Edmonton and then Ireland on June 5 in Montreal for a pair of tune-up games.