Northern Fútbol Podcast

The Canadian men’s national team fell out of the 2026 World Cup on Saturday, but the past month provided some remarkable moments for the sport from coast-to-coast-to-coast. On Part 2 of our post-match show from the 3-0 loss to Morocco, Ben Steiner, Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic and Brendan Dunlop dive into which players could still play a key role in four years time, and dive deep into whether this summer was a success + their favourite moments from the run.

Canada is in the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup and faces an immense challenge as they take on Morocco in Houston. It won't be an easy task for Canada to get past the Atlas Lions, but it's not impossible. Ben Steiner, live from Houston, and Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic break down everything there is to the matchup, how Jesse Marsch may adapt, what penalties could look like, and plenty more before offering their predictions. To end the show, Brendan Dunlop catches up with play-by-play broadcaster Jon Champion about the tournament as a whole and offers an international perspective on Canadian soccer.

The CanMNT have made the most of their knockout round debut at a men’s World Cup, as they defeated South Africa 1-0 in their Round of 32 clash after a dramatic late winner from Stephen Eustáquio. On a day when they weren’t at their best, Eustáquio made sure that they’d still get over the line on the day, rewarding them for all of the hard work they put in with a special goal. And, in other good news, Alphonso Davies made his return from injury, with this win buying him more time to play an even bigger role in the Round of 16. Ben, Brendan and Alex dive into a historic game for Canadian soccer, one that will stand out among great historic Canadian sporting moments - and there could still be more big moments to come, with their tournament not over yet. 

After a successful group stage, the CanMNT's 2026 World Cup journey shifts from Canada to Los Angeles to take on South Africa. Expected to win on paper, this will be a fascinating test for Canada, one where they have a chance to make a massive statement, with most of the country watching Can CanMNT pick up a victory that will forever live on in contrast to the usual frustration and heartbreak?Ben, Brendan and Alex help preview this South Africa match, put into context what this game means and where they think this game could be won or lost for Canada. Against a South African side that is expected to be stingy without the ball, it won’t be an easy match. Canada will need to take the lessons learned from similar matchups as they chase a knockout victory.

The Canadian men’s national team won’t get the chance to stay at home for the World Cup knockout stage, but will play the biggest game in CanMNT history despite falling 2-1 to Switzerland on Wednesday in Vancouver.Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic break down Canada’s Group B 2nd place-sealing loss, how it could impact their pathway, the CanMNT's selections and the brewing drama around Jesse Marsch and Alphonso Davies.

It’s all come down to CanMNT v Switzerland in their final Group B match. There, the stakes are simple: if Canada wins or draws, they’ll top the group and stay in Vancouver for the Round of 32. If Canada lose, they’ll likely finish 2nd, unless Bosnia have the game of their lives, and head to LA for the Rd of 32. Brendan, Ben and Alex dive into everything you NEED to know about Canada vs. Switzerland, from potential lineup choices, to what Canada needs to do to stay solid at the back, and help scout potential areas of Swiss weakness.

It was the game that fans of the CanMNT had long dreamed about, as Canada picked up their first-ever World Cup win, doing so in STYLE in a thumping 6-0 win over Qatar in Vancouver. Jonathan David finally had his statement World Cup performance with an impressive hat trick, Cyle Larin had a big goal to stay in red-hot form, and Nathan Saliba announced his breakout to the world. Unfortunately for Canada, however, not all went well, as Ismaël Koné was stretchered off with a horrific leg break, one that will prematurely end his tournament and keep him out of action for several months. Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangué-Ruzic dive into all of the KEY storylines and Ben Steiner checks in with an update from BC Place, in a very special post-game episode of NFP. 

After a solid start to the 2026 World Cup for the CanMNT, who drew Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-1 in Toronto, their focus shifts towards the second game of the tournament, where they’ll take on Qatar in a massive matchup in Vancouver. With all teams in Group B tied on one point, Canada heads into this game needing a win, knowing that such a result will all but secure their spot in the knockout rounds of this tournament and put them in the driver’s seat when it comes to potentially even winning their group. In this episode, Alex, Ben and Brendan share what they’ve seen from the World Cup so far, before diving into everything you need to know about this matchup against Qatar, including why it’s such a big one for Canada, their projected lineup, predictions and more.