With less than 80 days remaining until the World Cup kickoff, the final spots for the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this June and July are yet to be determined. 22 countries are still in contention for the remaining six spots in the 48-team event. In Europe, 16 nations will compete for the last four berths, while six teams from other regions will vie for the remaining two spots. These final entries will be decided through a series of mini single-elimination tournaments over the next six days, with matches scheduled for Thursday and Tuesday.
Despite Canada not being directly involved in the qualifiers, the outcome will have an impact on the Canadian team’s World Cup journey. One of the matches will establish Canada’s opponent in the World Cup opener on June 12 in Toronto, with three qualifiers set to play group-stage games in either Toronto or Vancouver.
The European qualifying tournaments are divided into four separate four-team brackets known as “paths.” Path A features Italy, a four-time World Cup winner currently ranked 12th in the world, which is aiming to secure a spot in the tournament. Italy will face Northern Ireland in a crucial match on Thursday, with the winner advancing to play either Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place in Group B alongside Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar.
In Path C, Turkey is the favorite, while Denmark leads the way in Path D. Path B, however, appears to be wide open with Poland, Sweden, and Ukraine all having a shot at clinching a World Cup spot.
The intercontinental playoffs operate differently from the European qualifiers, with the six teams divided into smaller groups of three. Matches will be played on neutral ground in Mexico, with the winner of each path advancing to the World Cup. Canada, currently ranked 29th, will host friendlies against Iceland and Tunisia as they await their World Cup opener.
Unfortunately, Canada will be without key players due to injuries, including Alphonso Davies, Alistair Johnston, Moise Bombito, Stephen Eustaquio, and Jacob Shaffelburg. The matches will take place at Toronto’s BMO Field, which has expanded its capacity to 45,000 for the World Cup.
