Canada will be without captain Alphonso Davies and goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau for their first matches since the 2026 World Cup. Head coach Jesse Marsch named a 26-player roster on Tuesday for friendlies against Chile and Peru, with two key figures missing.
Davies, the Bayern Munich star, is unavailable due to his recent marriage and honeymoon. Orlando City's Crepeau could not be called up because of a personal matter. Marsch acknowledged the need to balance player welfare with team needs. "We have to sometimes prioritize certain situations over others to make sure that players can also have a life, live their life," he said.
Seventeen players from the historic World Cup squad return for these homecoming games. Canada, currently ranked 30th globally, will face 49th-ranked Chile in Toronto on September 26 before meeting 50th-ranked Peru in Montreal on October 3. The team then travels to face the United States on October 6.
The squad includes striker Cyle Larin, back after a strong start to his English Championship season, and veteran midfielders Junior Hoilett and Samuel Piette. Defender Alfie Jones is out injured, while centre-back Moise Bombito continues his recovery from surgery on his left tibia.
Canada's last outing was a 3-0 defeat to Morocco in the World Cup round of 16 on July 4. The team currently sits second in their World Cup group with four points from three matches. For a full look at the player pool, visit the squad section.
This story first appeared at CBC Sports
