Northern Fútbol 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. 

DESCRIPTION: Months ago, we clamoured for more Canadians to head to the English Championship. Now that many have, three are in contention to move up to the Premier League through the playoffs, while others also enjoyed standout campaigns. We dive into Canadians in Europe, as well as the feisty goalkeeper battle between Dayne St. Clair and Max Crépeau in MLS.  The boys then offer their Coolbet picks for the weekend of MLS action.

The Vancouver Whitecaps are hanging on to a bit of hope after Sporting Director and CEO Axel Schuster spoke to the media on Wednesday, offering some insight as to where the club is at in the hunt to avoid relocation to Las Vegas or Phoenix. While Vancouver’s future remains unclear, Toronto FC’s present is less than ideal, crashing out of the Canadian Championship to Atletico Ottawa in the latest embarrassing chapter for TFC. 

The 2026 World Cup is mere weeks away and Cyle Larin is in the form of his life with Southampton, scoring a stunning goal in a critical draw with Ipswich, all while Alphonso Davies started in a chaotic UEFA Champions League clash between Bayern Munich and PSG. With so many Canadians thriving abroad and the Whitecaps, TFC and CF Montréal all showing some life in MLS action, it’s a solid time to be a Canadian soccer fan — as long as you’re not a Whitecaps fan thinking too far into the future. 

The Vancouver Whitecaps are facing more serious threats of relocation, and local support has been overwhelming in the last week in an effort to find a solution in Vancouver. What could keep the 52-year-old club in Vancouver, and what role does government have in the solution? Brendan Dunlop, Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic and Ben Steiner break down the situation facing Canada’s oldest professional soccer team. 

Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic and Brendan Dunlop take a look at the latest out of the Canadian MLS teams, as the Vancouver Whitecaps are cruising to historic numbers, Toronto FC is becoming one of the most chaotic and entertaining teams in MLS (and are scoring goalkeeper goals!), while CF Montréal is looking to recover from a slow start after firing head coach Marco Donadel. Meanwhile, the Northern Super League is back for its second season, as they look to follow up a successful first act with a solid second campaign, while the Canadian Premier League is a few weeks into its new season, which has gathered global attention thanks to a few new rules that the league is trialling in 2026. WIN with Coolbet! Contest rules and full details on CanadianSoccerDaily.com