Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has named his 23-man squad for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League quarter-final tie against Guatemala. The selection includes ten players from Major League Soccer, underlining the league's continued importance to the national team program. The team will travel for the first leg away to Guatemala on Saturday 14 November.
Eight of those MLS players were part of the squad that reached the 2026 World Cup. The group is led by Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who returns to the fold after missing the September and October international windows due to injury. "Davies has been injured a lot, he hasn't played a full game for his country since 2024, and it was actually in this competition that he suffered the ACL tear that would derail his career for the better part of two years," a team spokesperson noted. The defender, now back to full fitness, recently scored for Bayern in the Champions League.
The squad blends European-based talent with domestic league experience. Goalkeepers Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City) and Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami) are joined by Dundee's Owen Goodman. The defensive unit features Davies, Toronto FC's Richie Laryea and Richard Chukwu, and Portland Timbers defender Joel Waterman, who has 17 senior caps. The midfield includes Villarreal's Tajon Buchanan, LAFC's Mathieu Choinière, and Toronto FC veteran Jonathan Osorio. Up front, Jonathan David of Atlético Madrid leads the line alongside Bournemouth's Daniel Jebbison and Toulouse forward Jacen Russell-Rowe.
A significant absence is striker Cyle Larin, who is ruled out with a hamstring injury. His absence places more responsibility on the other forwards in a squad looking to build on recent form. Canada's last three matches produced two wins and a narrow loss, including a 2-0 victory over Peru where Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice. They were edged 1-0 by the USA in their most recent outing on October 7th.
The quarter-final is a two-legged affair. The first leg is scheduled for Friday, November 13th at the Manuel Felipe Carrera Stadium in Guatemala City. The return leg will be played three days later on Monday, November 16th at BMO Field in Toronto. Canada won the last meeting between the sides 1-0 in January. The first test in Guatemala kicks off at 9 p.m. ET. The team's recent form reads two wins and one defeat from its last three matches.
This story first appeared at mlssoccer.com
