It is not as if Canada has had exactly a dearth of players capable of scoring goals at the international level in the past. Tomasz Radzinski at Anderlecht and Everton, and Paul Peschisolido for Fulham, Sheffield United and Derby County, enjoyed standout careers in Europe.
Others such as John Catliff, Ali Gerba, Alex Bunbury and Dale Mitchell all bulged the net for their country, and then, of course, Dwayne De Rosario flew the flag proudly for many years.
However, the team was never known as an offensive team and was more often built on strong defensive fundamentals.
The players on that list were, to a man, foundational pieces of Canadian soccer history. But for a generation of fans, it was the women’s team that received the accolades, largely in part to some truly world-class talents in attack, such as Charmaine Hooper, Kara Lang and Christine Sinclair. The men sat in the shadow of their contemporaries in the women’s game, who were going deep in World Cups and Olympics … generally, when a nation still discovering the sport paid any attention to it.
Now, while the women continue to compete on the world stage, so too do the men. The Canadian men are up to a record 26th in the most recent FIFA rankings after a successful September international slate where they beat Romania and Wales in Europe. Goals, suddenly, are no longer in short supply, and the options available to coach Jesse Marsch have never been better.
By now, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin are household names in most Canadian soccer-loving homes. But the next wave is pushing for starting spots. European-based players Promise David, Daniel Jebbison and Tani Oluwaseyi are more than just hopefuls, they are very much competing with Larin for the golden ticket of a partnership with Jonathan David at next year’s World Cup.
Larin, it is easily forgotten, is still vying with Jonathan David for the national team’s all-time scoring record. However, with only one goal in the last 20 matches for this country, Larin has seen the Juventus man pull ahead with 37 goals to his 30 overall.
Looking for playing time, Larin has just joined Feyenoord in the Netherlands, but although on the bench this weekend, he has yet to play since arriving last month.
As for Promise David? A little raw, perhaps, but he is entering prolific status at Belgium’s Union Saint Gilloise after scoring a trademark breakaway this weekend. Jebbison is out on loan again from Bournemouth, this time at Preston North End in England’s Championship. Meanwhile, Oluwaseyi is still getting to grips with Villarreal in Spain, but in getting minutes off the bench earned an assist when his deflected shot led to the winning goal against Osasuna.
Behind this group but very much on the periphery to make the World Cup squad is Theo Bair, who was on the scoresheet this weekend for Lausanne in the Swiss Super League, where he is spending the season on loan from Ligue One’s Auxerre. Ike Ugbo of Sheffield Wednesday is 27 and has not featured on a Marsch squad since he declined a Copa America call-up. Stephen Afrifa was called up along with Olyuwaseyi last year, but has struggled for minutes this season in MLS. Others who were at one time or another seen as real prospects include Charles-Andreas Brym of NAC Breda and Jacen Russell-Rowe of the Columbus Crew.
Other young players will likely not be ready for 2026 but will be in contention in the future. Pumas forward Santiago Lopez is just 20 years old, Toronto FC’s Jules Anthony Vilsaint is 22 and Dieu-Merci Michel, who is on loan in Portugal at Uniao de Leiria, is 21. Manchester United product Gabriele Biancheri, 19, has yet to commit to Canada after having been in the Welsh system for his youth career but may be the most intriguing of the bunch.
A few words should be reserved for Kwasi Poku. Poku made noise last season after a breakout campaign for Forge of the CPL, having switched to striker from fullback. A mid-season move to RWD Molenbeek in Belgium began well, only for hip surgery to sideline him for the remainder of the season. Poku is yet to make his season debut this year.
The depth of attacking talent has never been greater for Canada, but that doesn’t mean the pipeline is brimming with world-class footballers. Only Jonathan David is close to world-class, and whether he will reach that level in Turin remains to be seen. That said, the growth potential of those behind him for Canada is exciting, and promises much for the future. Whether that will manifest itself in time for next year’s World Cup?
That is an enormous question, and one that Marsch is eager to see answered.
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·