Northern Fútbol Podcast

Canada heads into Group B action at the 2026 World Cup this week, starting with a Friday match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. What are the expectations for this Canadian team back at the tournament? How will they be followed by the more casual Canadian public, and what do they need to do to deem it a successful World Cup? Ben Steiner, Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic, and Brendan Dunlop wrap up the show by sharing their Canada World Cup predictions and who they think will lead Canada in goalscoring.

Led by Jesse Marsch, Canada Soccer unveiled its 26-man World Cup roster on Friday night, picking the group that will look to shock the world at a home World Cup. On this episode of Northern Fútbol, Ben Steiner, Brendan Dunlop and Alex Gangué-Ruzic break down their thoughts on the squad, how it was revealed, and their hopes heading into the pre-tournament friendlies against Uzbekistan and Ireland before the June 12 World Cup opener in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Gerry Dobson saw the worst moments for Canada's men's national team — and just as it started to get good, he retired. 10 years after he signed off the airwaves that brought him across CONCACAF with Canada's dismal men's program at the time, he couldn't be happier to see where the team has gotten, even if there's a small part of him that wishes he could have been a part of it. In a one-on-one with Ben Steiner, he dives into some of the stories from the dark days and his experiences calling Canadian games, Canadian soccer and Canada's first live exposure to the Premier League over the course of three decades.

It was a successful end to the 2025-2026 season for several CanMNT players, and none more than Liam Millar, who helped Hull City return to the Premier League after a dramatic promotion final win vs. Middlesbrough. After a long journey to this stage, it’s a huge moment for Millar, who will look to carry that good feeling into what he hopes is a good World Cup for Canada, before hopefully lacing up his boots in the EPL this fall. Alex, Ben and Brendan dive into all other happenings related to Canadians playing abroad, including the upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup final, which will feature CanMNT winger Marcelo Flores, who is hoping to help Tigres UNAL to a big win vs. Toluca, before closing out the show with some talk about the Canadian MLS teams. 

It’s all starting to become real for the CanMNT, who have officially kicked off their World Cup preparation in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they’ve gathered for their pre-tournament training camp. Unfortunately, due to injuries and other club commitments, not everyone has made it to Charlotte, including Canadian captain Alphonso Davies, but otherwise, most of the 32 players who were called up to this camp are there. Now, the challenge for head coach Jesse Marsch is to whittle that group of 32 down to 26 players, which will be easier said than done. Speaking of Marsch, though, he’s already had a busy week, as he announced that he’ll stay on as CanMNT head coach through the 2030 World Cup, in what is a big coup for the Canadian program. Alex, Ben and Brendan dive into everything you need to know about that squad, as well as about Marsch’s contract extension, before finishing with a chat about the favourites to win this World Cup, in this episode of the Northern Futbol Podcast.

Before the club game pauses with the World Cup starting in less than a month, certain leagues are heating up over the next few weeks, as most European circuits wind down, while leagues like Major League Soccer are about to hit their halfway point. Speaking of MLS, however, this break could come at a great time for Canada’s MLS sides, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and CF Montréal, who are dealing with injuries, dipping form and more. Can the Whitecaps enter the break still in first place in MLS? Will Toronto FC be able to stop a lengthy winless run? Can CF Montréal leap their Canadian Classique rivals after recovering from a slow start? They’ll all look to make that happen this weekend. Meanwhile, Canadians continue to shine across the globe - Alex and Ben dive into those CanMNT and CanWNT players who are shining brightest at the moment in ‘Canadians Abroad’. 

With the start of the 2026 World Cup now less than a month away, the next few weeks promise to be a sprint to the start line for the 48 teams participating, especially for the co-hosts, the CanMNT, who are getting set for their first match against Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 12th. As Canada gets set to start their pre-World Cup camp in Charlotte in the coming days, Alex and Ben dive into the state of the Canadian squad, with Jesse Marsch set to officially name his 26-player squad for this summer on May 29th. Who will make the 26? Who is set to miss out? They take a look at which battles are heating up with that May 29th date now less than two weeks away.

Alphonso Davies’s injury troubles have continued, as the CanMNT captain picked up another muscle problem while playing for Bayern Munich, one that is serious enough to put his World Cup participation with Canada in doubt. Now, he faces a race against the clock to return to full fitness, and even if that goes well, it’s hard to imagine him being at his best this summer, which could affect the CanMNT’s plans. In better news, however, some other Canadians are thriving abroad, including Jacob Shaffelburg, Liam Millar and Cyle Larin - in particular, there will be a lot of Canadian interest in the EFL Championship promotion final this weekend, with Millar’s Hull City and Larin’s Southampton set to face off in football’s most lucrative match (unless Southampton’s spygate scandal opens the door for Alfie Jones and Middlesborough to get back into the promotion mix). Elsewhere, some key CanWNT players are also thriving in the NWSL, which is good news for Casey Stoney as she continues to get set for the next Canadian Women’s National Team camp.