Canada’s Ups & Downs at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

It has been 36 years, but Canada’s Men’s National Soccer team finally made their way to the FIFA World Cup. It’s been an incredible journey for the squad, who have been outcasts for decades in competitive soccer on the world stage.

But sadly, this World Cup has been short-lived for the team, who were hopeful of making it past the group stages after an impressive start to the tournament against the number 2 ranked team in the world, Belgium. Canada started their first game on the right foot as they were awarded a penalty shot against Thibault Courtois of Belgium. Alphonso Davies, the 22-year-old Canadian superstar, stepped up to the spot to take the penalty but was denied by a great save by the goalkeeper.

This opportunity seemed to haunt the team for the rest of the game, as they lost 1-0 after giving up a quick goal before halftime. All it takes is a sliver of a chance for one of the best teams in the world to capitalize.

Croatia was up next for Canada, another European giant that was runner-up in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This game started with a bang as Alphonso Davies headered the first Canadian goal in history at the World Cup only 67 seconds into the game. But this was short-lived, as Croatia spoiled our hopes of getting past the group stage after scoring four unanswered goals.

Canada will play their final game against Morocco on December 1st and will look to make more history at the FIFA World Cup with its first win on the world stage. It has been a tournament of firsts for the team, so it would be amazing to see them get a win before exiting the tournament and leaving Qatar.

Even though their hopes and dreams for this FIFA World Cup are over, this has been a great learning experience for the young team that will look to use this when they play in the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Canada can play with the best in the world and has proven they shouldn’t be taken lightly by any team in the future of the competition. This is just the beginning of something special for Canada’s men’s soccer and will inspire generations to come.

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