Canada's FIFA World Cup coach takes jab at U.S. team
Canada men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch is aware of the pressure that comes with co-hosting the FIFA World Cup. But he isn’t worried about whether his players are ready to embrace the moment.
Speaking ahead of Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the American-born Marsch says he’s learned how much it means to be Canadian in the last two years, and also took a jab at the U.S. men’s national team program.
“Every one of these boys is incredibly Canadian. They have so much pride putting on the jersey, representing the country, hearing the national anthem,” Marsch said Thursday.
“In the U.S., sometimes we had to beg players to sing the national anthem.”
Marsch previously served as an assistant coach with the U.S. men’s national team under Bob Bradley from 2009 to 2011, helping the Americans reach the Round of 16 at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
After leaving the national team setup, the 52-year-old became the inaugural head coach of CF Montréal (then the Montreal Impact) in 2011. Over a decade later, he would eventually be brought back to Canada as the national team boss.
Marsch continued, praising his Canadian squad in comparison to the former U.S. team.
“These guys sing the national anthem and belt it out at the top of their lungs because they want to show the country how proud they are to be here and what it means to be Canadian,” he said.
Canada opens its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on Friday afternoon at Toronto Stadium against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the lead-up to the match, an unverified report from a Bosnian fan social media outlet claimed that more than 25,000 Bosnian supporters would be in Toronto for the game.
Canadian soccer analyst Ben Steiner later dismissed the rumour after contacting the Bosnia and Herzegovina Embassy in Ottawa, which said it had no knowledge of such numbers.
Marsch wasn’t buying it either when asked about it on Thursday.
“That stadium is going to be red, not blue,” he said. “It’s a familiar place for us. We know the stadium, the fans, and the Voyageurs are going to be with us.”
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Canada captain Stephen Eustáquio echoed his coach’s confidence, responding in perhaps the most Canadian way possible.
“Sorry, I think the Canadian fans are going to be there to support us,” Eustáquio said. “We get support from Canadian fans no matter where we play, but we have tons of experience playing in tough environments.”
Canada plays Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday at 3 p.m. EDT/noon PDT. You can watch the match live on TSN, CTV, and Crave in Canada.