The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is right around the corner, and hype is at an all-time high in Canada. This is the first time the Canadian national team have made it to the ultimate football contest since 1986, and the players will relish the opportunity to cut it against the best in the business on the international stage.
Unfortunately for John Herdman’s charges, they have been placed in Group F, which is one of the toughest draws in the competition. They will be underdogs, that’s for sure, but do the Maple Leafs have a chance of getting to the knockout round?
Hype for Canada Will be Huge This Year
Regardless of where Canada ends up finishing in the World Cup, there will be an incredible buzz around the country for this momentous event. This is the first time the Reds have been in the paramount tournament in 36 years, and the second time overall. Canada lost all three games in their last World Cup outing, so there is only room for improvement this time out.
Related industries are likely to thrive this winter in Canada, with online sportsbooks already preparing their specials for the droves of Canadian bettors who love staking on sport. Feeling the hype for the country’s chances in the World Cup can go beyond simply wagering on them as well.
Indeed, people who want to enjoy the thrill of gambling during the event can play related football games like Football Star and Football Glory. These can be found at sites on the real money casino Canada list, where there are various generous promotions to take advantage of too. These include deposit matches up to $1500 and free spins to use on certain games.
Canada Placed in a Seriously Tough Group
In terms of Canada’s chances of getting somewhere in the competition, they are fairly slim. The North American outfit will be coming up against Belgium and Croatia, who are two of the favourites to make it to the deep stages of the competition. Indeed, the latter ended as runners-up in 2018 and put in a strong showing against one of the best French sides in years.
Belgium are usually among the teams expected to make it to the final, thanks to their incredibly strong squad. They have world-class players like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard making up the team’s spine, along with up-and-coming stars like Youri Tielemans and Charles De Ketelaere.
Belgium have a history of failing to live up to expectations in major tournaments, but they usually get out of the group easily. In fact, since 1986, they have only flopped in the group stages once. That was in 1998 when they drew all of their games.
Canada will be eying up the game against Morocco as the one in which they could better their last World Cup performance. The African side have only got to the knock-out phase once, way back in 1986.
Will Canada Have a Better Chance of Success in 2026?
Even if Canada only plays three matches in this year’s tournament, it will be a great experience for many of the players. Canada have already automatically qualified for the 2026 World Cup as one of the host nations, so they will be eyeing up that tournament as an opportunity for success. There are some exciting youngsters in the ranks at the moment who are expected to be in their prime by then.
Alphonso Davies is the best player for Canada right now, and the 21-year-old is already regarded among the greatest full-backs in the world. Then there’s Jonathan David, who has already bagged 21 goals in 32 showings for Canada.
He’s only 22 years of age and is likely to get even better in the years ahead as he plies his trade in Ligue 1 with Lille. Other players to watch out for include Tajon Buchanan and Stephen Eustáquio.
Canada’s chances of getting out of their group at this year’s World Cup are slim, but that won’t stop people from relishing the chance to see them there for the first time in nearly four decades.
This could be an excellent opportunity for the players to get some practice in for when the tournament heads to North American soil in 2026.