Canada has claimed its first victory in the 2026 World Cup, albeit under challenging circumstances.
In their second group stage match, Les Rouges defeated Qatar 6-0, marking their debut win at the tournament. Qatar struggled defensively, receiving two red cards during the match and finishing with just nine players as they failed to contain the Canadian offense.
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Canada quickly found the net, with Cyle Larin scoring in the 16th minute with a rebound shot. Jonathan David followed up with two first-half goals, first netting a volley in the 29th minute, then scoring on a rebound just before halftime.
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Qatar’s troubles began in the 33rd minute when Homam Ahmed received a direct red card for denying Tajon Buchanan a clear goal opportunity just outside the box. Initially, Ahmed received a yellow card along with a penalty awarded to Canada, but the nature of the foul required a red card instead.
The match took another turn shortly after the second half began, as Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné had to be carried off the field due to an apparent leg injury from a collision with Assim Madibo. Emotions ran high among teammates as Koné exited, and Madibo was later issued a red card for the tackle.
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With Madibo’s dismissal, Qatar was now down to nine players, allowing Canada to ramp up their offensive pressure. Nathan Saliba, who substituted for Koné in the 59th minute, scored just five minutes later and celebrated by lifting Koné’s jersey in tribute.
Canada’s Nathan Saliba (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in their match against Qatar. (Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The scoring did not stop there. In the 75th minute, Jacob Shaffelburg inadvertently assisted in an own goal by Mohamed Manai, bringing Canada’s score to 5-0. Then, just two minutes into stoppage time, Jonathan David completed his hat trick to finalize the score at 6-0.
Despite the remarkable achievement of a hat trick, David’s celebrations felt subdued as he seemed affected by Koné’s injury.
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Post-match, the teams exchanged some heated words, with Canadian coach Jesse Marsch and Qatari coach Julien Lopetegui not sharing a handshake at the end of the game, as noted by The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.
This victory is especially significant for Canada, as it marks only their third appearance in World Cup history. Entering this match with a record of 0 Wins, 1 Draw, and 6 Losses all time in the tournament, Canada had only managed to secure a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina the previous week, thus this win was eagerly anticipated.
Now, with this impressive victory under their belt, Canada showed dominance throughout the match, achieving 31 total shots with 10 on target, controlling 78% of possession, and earning 19 corner kicks. In contrast, Qatar managed just two shots, both in the first half and neither threatening the goal.
This win places Les Rouges at the top of Group B, while Qatar, which had managed to secure a draw against Switzerland last week, finds itself at the bottom of the group.