It is as if Canada Soccer and the newly rebranded Canada Soccer Media and Entertainment could feel it, too. With this weekend’s kick-off to the 2026 Major League Soccer season, we have officially hit the run-in to this summer’s World Cup.
As every league that features Canadian internationals is in action, it was just as well that the suits sorted out their business.
The re-working of the notorious deal between the nation’s governing body, Canada Soccer, and (as it was known until last week) Canada Soccer Business, was a crucial step forward, cleaning the palate as it were, as we build towards the biggest summer in Canadian soccer history.
Up next will be a CBA, which according to Canada Soccer CEO Kevin Blue is close, and then who knows, maybe a Jesse Marsch extension? Halcyon days!
All this means, of course, that we can once again focus on the important stuff — you know, the actual kicking of soccer balls in anger, and just how the first three months of the MLS season might dictate the shape of the squad that Marsch takes with him to… Canada.
The bulk of the potential squad plays in Europe, and that number increased over the winter with star winger Ali Ahmed leaving the Vancouver Whitecaps for England’s Norwich City, and striker Jacen Russell-Rowe saying farewell to Columbus as he joined Toulouse in France.
But fear not MLS faithful: there is still much to be intrigued about this season, with several players yearning not only for minutes, but consistent excellence, as they look to impress Marsch and perhaps overcome a perceived handicap of playing outside Europe.
Stephen Eustaquio has been formally introduced as an LAFC player, and rather than ease him into the new set-up, head coach Marc dos Santos threw him right to the wolves, starting in midfield for LAFC’s 6-1 destruction of Honduras’s Real Espana in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The former Porto man was his usual composed self, even showing his passing range with a superb ball to Hueng-min Son en route to a Denis Bouanga goal. Eustaquio has no fears regarding his spot in Canada’s squad, but consistent form is key for the midfield general.
More interesting than Eustaquio’s start was his subbing off. Compatriot Mathieu Choiniere replaced him with half an hour to go. Choiniere has been a standout for Canada under Marsch, but found minutes hard to come by at LA down the stretch, and will now be competing with his Canada teammate at club level. With midfield depth better than ever, is there a scenario where Choiniere could miss out on the World Cup? Sure, but there is also a scenario where the former Montreal man plays a pivotal part this summer.
To make matters more complicated, Jacob Shaffelburg — who was traded to LAFC from Nashville this summer — will begin the season on the IR after groin surgery. The chaos merchant (said in the best possible terms) may also have difficulty earning minutes in a contending LA side, but needs to show his national team manager that he can rediscover the form that made him a star in the early days of Marsch’s reign, including a brilliant Copa America in 2024.
LAFC may actually be the MLS team to watch ahead of the World Cup; Canada South will play an important role in the final 26.
While every soccer-oriented podcast debates on a daily basis the merits of Canada’s left-hand side and whether Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea should force Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies to play a more advanced role, they demonstrate how short the memory can be.
Vancouver’s Sam Adekugbe, when healthy, is as solid an option as anyone at left back. But since the 2022 World Cup, the 31-year-old has been beset with injury, including last year’s torn Achilles which ruined his season and threatens this one, too. The word out of the Whitecaps is that he is still some way off from returning. It looks unlikely that a return to the squad in time is feasible, but we should all hope for the best. Adekugbe is a player who any fan of Canadian soccer should be following closely — World Cup aside, it will be a wonderful sight to see the speedster marauding up the lines at some point this season.
One player’s disappointment can mean another player’s joy. Zorhan Bassong of Sporting KC has turned heads for Canada in limited minutes, and impressed at the North American based January camp. Some at KC see Bassong as a midfielder, which means he is versatile, something key in modern football and something Marsch will approve. Where he lines up for KC will be of significant interest for Canada. Sporting is into the post-Peter Vermes era after firing him last year. Vermes was “Mr. Sporting KC,” and without him, the future looks a little murky with most projections having the team languishing near or at the bottom. How that affects a youngster like Bassong remains to be seen.
On the other end of the spectrum is a veteran like Jonathan Osorio. Toronto FC’s captain may not be in contention to start for Canada any more, but his leadership is key and he is a player who Marsch trusts as an important option off the bench. Toronto FC is still very much a work in progress, but Osorio remains one of the team’s lynchpins. At 33 however, he is at the age where form and health can dip. Keeping No. 21 on the pitch is extremely important ahead of the World Cup, as is managing the minutes of the club’s elder statesman.
As was the case last season, the battle for the gloves will continue. Both options have new clubs, with Dayne St. Clair leaving Minnesota for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, and Max Crepeau leaving Portland for Orlando. The Florida rivalry suddenly takes on a new flavour this season then, and will be worth the watch every week.
MLS shuts down on May 24 ahead of the World Cup break, and there is no shortage of storylines to follow from a Canadian angle. While things seem to be taking shape off the pitch, there is still so much to decide on the pitch.
It all begins to take shape this weekend — with MLS promising to answer many of the questions still percolating.
