Canada is set to kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 12. As one of the three host nations, they will look to advance into the knockout rounds. Canada historically has yet to win a World Cup game, but with a group that includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland, the chances are good this time around.
Here’s a closer look at Canada’s goalkeepers and defence:
Goalkeepers:
Maxime Crépeau is the team’s likely starting goalkeeper, taking the reins from Milan Borjan since 2023, when he departed the pitch during a 3-2 defeat to Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final. Already 32, the Orlando City keeper missed out of the 2022 World Cup after he broke his lower leg during the MLS Cup final while he was playing with LAFC against Philadelphia Union. Due to his injury, he missed out on all Canadian games in 2023, but rebounded in 2024 as a key member of the 2024 Copa América and in 2025’s CONCACAF Gold Cup.
With Borjan out of the picture, coach Jesse Marsch views Crépeau as the heir apparent, playing in 18 Canadian games between 2024 and Canada’s friendly against Ireland on June 5.
He started his career with the Montreal Impact (now CF Montréal) in 2013, only making three appearances before he was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps for $50,000 in TAM (Targeted Allocation Money) and a third-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Prior to the trade, Crèpeau only made two appearances (one in 2016 and another in 2017) for Canada. In his second year with the Vancouver Whitecaps he appeared three times for Canada, after appearing in 26 games for Vancouver in the 2019 season, during which he became the club’s starting keeper. While a fractured thumb hampered his stride in 2020, limiting him to only four games, he returned in 2021 to play 27 league games. In 2022, Crépeau was traded again, this time to LAFC for $1 million TAM. He was instrumental in LAFC’s success, helping them win the MLS Cup after appearing in 33 league games and three playoff games, despite suffering a broken leg in the final.
In 2024, Portland signed Crèpeau. He left Portland in 2025 after his contract ended, opting to join Orlando City where he is contracted to play until 2028.
Crépeau’s style of play complements Canada’s high-pressing, aggressive style.
While Crépeau may be the heir apparent to Borjan, it could take one mistake for Dayne St. Clair to usurp him. At 29, St. Clair has been pushing for the role. Marsch has given them both equal opportunity to prove themselves. St. Clair signed his first professional contract with Minnesota United FC in the MLS after being drafted seventh overall in 2019. He appeared in 135 league games with Minnesota, but decided to take his trade to Inter Miami in 2026.
With Miami, he’s played 14 league games, conceding 28 goals and registered two cleansheets. As of June 8, Inter Miami is in second place of the Eastern Conference, and could have a chance to win this year’s MLS Cup.
Canada’s third-string goalkeeper is Owen Goodman, 22, who just finished a season-long loan with English club Barnsley in the EFL League One (England’s third tier). His parent club is Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Goodman has been with Crystal Palace since 20022, but has yet to make an appearance for their first team. However, he has been steadily racking up appearances while on loan, and has been sent to teams such as Colchester United, AFC Wimbledon and Huddersfield Town. His strongest season to date was in 2024-25, where he made 46 appearances for AFC Wimbledon, helping them secure a promotion to the EFL League One from League Two. He also took a part in causing an upset in the EFL Cup, knocking out Ipswich Town, a Premier League at the time, after saving two penalties in a shootout.
He has yet to make a senior Canada appearance, having only obtained Canadian citizenship (he was born in England but moved to Canada when he was five, before returning to England at 13) in late 2025.
Defence:
A steady right back who loves progressing the ball up the pitch, prone to delivering dangerous crosses into the box, Alistair Johnston has cemented himself into the Celtic FC lineup, and helping the club win four Scottish Premiership titles and three Scottish Cups.
Johnston will have the chance to improve on his 58 caps for Canada and will most likely start at right back in the majority of Canada’s games this World Cup, bar injury or suspension.
Nashville SC drafted Johnston in 2020, where he made 44 league appearances in two seasons. Nashville traded him to Montreal for $1 million just before Christmas in 2021. He would make 33 league appearances for the Quebec side, scoring four goals in his first and only season with the club. Montreal sold him to Celtic in December 2022 for roughly $4.97 million. Johnston signed a five-year contact and has since made 85 appearances at the club, where’s he become a key player and a fan favourite.
Alfie Jones has two caps for Canada. He can play both in defence and midfield but is primarily a centre back. In his 22 appearances for Middlesborough in the English Championship, Jones played all 22 at centre back and hasn’t played a game since Dec. 26, 2025 after coming off with an ankle injury against Blackburn at the 17-minute mark.
At 28, Jones is a ball-playing centre back who has matured in the English league system since 2018 when he was signed by Southampton, who sent him out on loans to Scottish side St. Mirren and Gillingham. In 2020, he signed a one-year deal with Hull City but ended staying there until July 2025, when he signed with his current team. He made 180 league appearances for Hull.
Jones is well-suited for Canada’s system, which encourages centre backs to press attackers in a high line. He’s also been good in the air, winning more than 50 per cent of high balls that come his way. He’s also a bit of an interception specialist and is prone to win one-on-one battles.
Jones, born in England, is eligible to play for Canada through his Canadian grandmother, who was born in Alberta.
Every team needs a breakout star, and that might just be Luc de Fougerolles. Another player born in England, he is eligible to play for Canada due to his Canadian father.
So far, he’s played 13 games for Canada. Only 20, he’s had a professional contract with Fulham since 2023 but has only played in one Cup game for the senior team. Fulham finally got him some senior minutes, sending him out to Belgian Pro League side Dender EH for the 2025-26 season. He’s appeared in 27 league games and was unable to save the team from relegation.
Fougerolles’s best attribute is his versatility. While he only played centre back for Dender all season, he is able to play right and left back. He’s very skilled at sticking with attackers, often shepherding them into areas where they become less of a threat. He also does not shy away from physical battles, but shows maturity in trying to stay on his feet and winning the battle cleanly, rather than aggressive slide tackles.
Hailing from Surrey, Joel Waterman is another centre back. Capped only 17 times by Canada, the 30-year-old defender has been a steady presence in the MLS. His professional career started with Canadian Premier League’s Cavalry FC in 2019. He played 21 games that season, before the Montreal Impact purchased him, becoming the first CPL player to be sold to an MLS club. He made 130 appearances for Montreal between 2020 and 2025, before being traded to Chicago Fire for $500,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) which could rise to $600,000 based on Waterman’s performances.
Waterman has only played 10 games this season for Nashville so far, mostly at centre back. However, he did appear as a defensive midfielder against Montreal on May 16, which Chicago won 2-0. Waterman actually started his professional career as a midfielder, but was converted into a centre-back by Cavalry boss Jay Wheeldon.
He’s another ball-playing defender, with strong passing and able to hold on the ball.
If there is a journeyman award for Canada’s squad, it would most likely go to Derek Cornelius. The centre back has played for eight teams in seven countries during his professional career, with only two of them being on a loan basis.
Cornelius moved to Germany in 2014 to join the VfB Lübeck U19 team as a forward but was unable to play until 2016 due to FIFA’s rules for under-aged players. He only made one senior appearance. He moved to fellow German side VfR Neumünster and appeared in 17 games. During this time, he was converted into a left-footed centre-back.
Serbian SuperLiga signed Cornelius during the winter of 2016-17, but he didn’t make his debut until 29 April 2017. He played 28 games for the Serbian side, departing in 2019 to join Vancouver Whitecaps. While his stint in Serbia was short, Canada’s coaching staff took notice, handing Cornelius four caps. With Vancouver, he played 35 league games spread out between the 2019, 2020 and 2021 season. He was sent to Panetolikos in Greece for two seasons, where he was featured in 42 games. Following his loan, he was sold to Malmö in Sweden.
His stint with Malmö ended after two seasons and 37 league games, helping the team to back-to-back Allsvenskan titles and the Svenska Cupen. His success with the team caught the eye of French club Olympique de Marseille, who purchased Cornelius and signed him on a four-year deal. In his first season with the club, Cornelius played in 21 games. However, he struggled in the 2025-26 seasons, only making two appearances leading Marseille sending him to Rangers in Scotland for a loan, where he has appeared in seven games to date.
His success in Sweden and his first season in France afforded him 22 of his 44 caps for Canada, playing 11 games in 2023 and 2024 each. His calming presence and short passes from the back is an asset to Canada. As a former forward, he’s comfortable with the ball and excels on teams with an aggressive high-pressing style of play that prioritizes possession.
If de Fougerolles is poised to be Canada’s breakout star this World Cup, it was Moïse Bombito in 2024’s Copa América campaign. The Montrealer is another centre back who earned 13 of his 20 caps in 2024, playing every minute of the tournament.
Prior to the tournament, he was playing for the Colorado Rapids in the MLS on a Generation Adidas contract after being selected third overall in the 2023 MLS Super Draft. His 29 games with Colorado and his play in the Copa América was enough for French side Nice to take a gamble on him. Nice purchased Bombito for €7 million Euro, an MLS record fee for a centre-back and Colorado’s transfer fee record. In his first season, he played in 27 league games and six Europa League Games, helping the team finish fourth in the league (and qualifying for the Champions League). However, the team’s Europa League campaign was disappointing.
Unfortunately, during his second campaign with the club, Bombito fractured his left tibia in October of last year after already suffering from a wrist fracture and a tibia stress fracture. Currently, he is listed day-to-day by Canada coaching staff and was able to play in 30 minutes of Canada’s friendly against Uzbekistan earlier this month.
Bombito’s is one of Canada’s most exciting talents. He’s fast and can push forward or make recovery runs and beat attackers if they break through Canada’s lines. He’s been a standout in Canada’s systems, not afraid to press out high and also manage to step into the midfield and play the ball.
He will miss Canada’s first game against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Alphonso Davies is unlikely to miss out on the rest of the tournament. He is Canada’s talisman and captain and has been regarded as one of the best fullbacks in the world.
Davies can play anywhere on the left side of the pitch, and has been around Canada’s senior team since 2017 despite only being 25 years old. On the same day he officially became a Canadian citizen (born in Ghana to Liberian parents), he was names as a member of Canada’s senior team camp for a friendly against Curaçao and Canada’s preliminary 40-man roster for the 2017 Gold Cup. He made his debut in the game against Curaçao at just 16, making history as the youngest player to play for Canada’s men’s team.
After spending most of youth career playing club soccer in Edmonton, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 signed him in early 2016 for the United Soccer League when he was 15. By June, 1 2016 he was playing for the senior team in the Canadian Championship and by July, was playing in the MLS. After becoming a star player and the face of the Whitecaps over three seasons, he was purchased by German powerhouse Bayern Munich for a then-MLS record of $22 million (USD) including performance-related bonuses. He has played for Bayern Munich since the purchase in 2018, appearing in 167 league games and scoring 10 goals while winning seven league titles with the club. He has also won the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup three times, and the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup once.
Davies is also Canada’s only player to score in a men’s World Cup, after scoring in a 4-1 loss to Croatia in 2022.
Jesse Marsch handed Davies the captain’s armband during the 2024 Copa América.
Like Bombito, Davies has explosive speed, and is very creative with the ball. While he is one of the best left backs in the world, Canada has often deployed him as an advanced winger and in the left midfield but has also appeared else where on the pitch during his club career. While chiefly played as a left back (219) games, he’s played left winger in 45 games, 22 games as a left midfielder, and 16 games on the right wing. He has also appeared in one game as a centre back and played another game at right back.
Johnston has some competition at right-back with Richie Laryea. An MLS lifer exempting his five-game stint with Nottingham, Laryea has played for Orlando City, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps. The 31-year-0ld is one of Canada’s oldest players on this roster and has appeared for Canada 75 times.
His success with Toronto FC from 2019 to 2021 led Nottingham Forest buying him. However, he struggled in England, leading Nottingham to loan him back to Toronto and Vancouver.
Toronto eventually signed him on a permanent transfer in 2024.
Like most of Canada’s defenders, Laryea is dynamic with a ball and not afraid to use his pace to bring the ball forward in attack. He’s also an incredible asset to the team and can play at centre back and left back if needed, especially if Marsch decides to deploy Davies further up the pitch. Marsch has also used Laryea to move into the midfield as an inverted fullback recently, and has been very involved in passing the ball into the final third.
Niko Sigur is the last defender on the squad. Born in Burnaby, Sigur was part of various Canadian youth teams before moving to Croatia in 2022 to play for Hajduk Split’s academy. He broke into the first team in same season, appearing in seven league games and one cup game. The next season, he became a steady presence, playing in 34 league games, and even appeared in a couple of the team’s Europa Conference League games. Since his debut, he has appeared in 92 league games for Hadjuk.
Sigur made his debut for Canada in 2024 but almost played for Croatia. He was a standby player for Croatia during the UEFA Euro 2024 tournament but he decided to switch to Canada after the tournament.
He took part in the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he was name in the Gold Cup Group Stage Best XI.
For Hajduk, Sigur’s playing time is split between playing as a defensive midfielder and a right back. In his current season, he has played 14 times as a right back and 10 times as a defensive midfielder. In his 19 games for Canada, he has only played four times in the midfield.
Like Laryea, he is deployed in Canada’s system as an inverted right back and supplies Canada with accurate long balls, and aggressive defence. He is not as offensive as Laryea and Johnston while at right back, but isn’t afraid to progress the ball forward and finding passing lanes.
Read about Canada’s midfielders and forwards here.