Vancouver Whitecaps player snubbed for Canada’s FIFA World Cup roster
Six players were bound to suffer heartbreak as Canada finalized their roster for the FIFA World Cup.
Canada named their 32-man training camp roster on Monday ahead of June’s international tournament. On Friday, they had to trim that roster down to 26 players.
When Canada’s FIFA World Cup team was revealed, one of the six players who wasn’t named to the squad was a prominent member of the Whitecaps.
Toronto-native Ralph Priso ended up being one of six players who narrowly missed the cut for Canada’s team on Friday. Chicago Fire centre-back Joel Waterman seemingly surpassed Priso on the depth chart as an insurance option.
Priso made one heckuva case for himself over the past handful of months. He became a regular starter for the Whitecaps during the latter half of last season, cementing his place in the lineup as a centre-back after converting from being a regular midfielder.
The 23-year-old’s chances of making Canada’s World Cup squad seemed to increase, not only because of his rising stock, but also due to the significant number of injuries on Canada’s defence.
Canada’s two top centre-backs, Moise Bambito and Derek Cornelius, have both dealt with significant injuries this season. Fullback Alistair Johnston, who would theoretically fill in for either defender, has also endured his own injury issues. That doesn’t even include Alphonso Davies, who is expected to miss the start of the FIFA World Cup.
Despite all of their struggles to stay healthy, all four players are on track to play during the World Cup. Even though that pushed Priso off the roster, he will reportedly travel with Canada for their tune-up matches in June prior to the World Cup.
Priso has dealt with his own injury issues, suffering a hamstring ailment during his debut for Canada’s senior national team in March. He made his return for the Whitecaps just last Saturday, scoring a goal in just 17 minutes of action.
MÜLLER ➡️ WHITE ➡️ PRISOOOO 👊🔥
White gets a header off and Priso makes it absolutely certain that it crosses the line! pic.twitter.com/U54cKWTrdJ
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) May 24, 2026
The budding Whitecaps star wasn’t the only player with Vancouver connections to miss Canada’s final cut. Former Whitecaps speedster Jayden Nelson was also one of the last players trimmed from the squad.
“I wrote down the list a few months ago, and most of these names were part of that, so the core group has been pretty clear,” Canada head coach Jesse Marsch told reporters on Friday.
“Guys like Ralph Priso and Jayden Nelson…all those names I just named are very young, are going to be part of this program moving forward.”
“When I spoke with all of them, I said that they’re still going to have to deal with me for four years.”
Although Priso just missed out on a World Cup berth, other Whitecaps players will represent their country, including Sebastian Berhalter (United States), Andres Cubas (Paraguay), and Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia).
Five ex-Whitecaps players were named to Canada, including Davies, Cornelius, Maxime Crepeau, Ali Ahmed, and Richie Laryea.