A look at the Canadian soccer team’s greatest moments after historic World Cup win

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A look at the Canadian soccer team's greatest moments after historic World Cup win

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The Canadian men earned their first World Cup berth on a cold day in St. John’s, N.L., on Sept. 14, 1985. Igor Vrablic scored the second-half winner as Canada beat Honduras 2-1 before thousands at King George V Park to win the 1985 CONCACAF Championship and book a trip to Mexico 1986. Then-coach Tony Waiters strategically chose the location to pull Honduras away from the Central American heat. The decision also created some confusion as hundreds of Honduras supporters mistakenly travelled to Saint John, N.B., and had to watch the game on TV.

Canada went on to lose all three matches in Mexico without scoring, falling 1-0 to France, 2-0 to Hungary and 2-0 to the Soviet Union.

STOUMBOS’ OLIMPICO

Helen Stoumbos scored Canada’s first-ever goal at the World Cup level — in highlight-reel fashion. Stoumbos curled a corner kick directly into the net for an Olimpico during a 3-2 group-stage loss to England at the 1995 Women’s World Cup in Sweden. It was Canada’s first match at the tournament, first held in 1991. The team did not advance to the knockout stage.

GOLDEN AT THE GOLD CUP

Arguably the men’s national team’s biggest title to date, Canada — then ranked 85th in the world — won the 2000 Gold Cup on an unlikely run that saw the team advance from the group stage on a coin-flip tiebreaker. Richard Hastings then scored the extra-time winner in a quarterfinal upset of No. 10 Mexico before ‘keeper Craig Forrest backstopped Canada to a 1-0 semifinal win over Trinidad and Tobago and a 2-0 victory over Colombia in the final.

A STAR IS BORN

Legendary striker Christine Sinclair announced herself on the international stage at the 2002 under-19 women’s world championship on home soil, scoring a tournament-best 10 goals to lead Canada to the final. More than 47,000 fans filled Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium as Canada lost 1-0 in extra time to the United States. The roster also featured several other future senior-team standouts, including Erin McLeod and Kara Lang, and helped usher in an era of success for the women’s program.

LONDON BRONZE

Led by several players from that U-19 team, the Canadian women captured their first Olympic medal with a third-place finish at the 2012 London Games. Diana Matheson scored the stoppage-time winner in a 1-0 victory over France in the bronze-medal match, helping Canada salvage a medal after a controversial semifinal loss to the United States.

Sinclair scored a spectacular hat trick against the favoured U.S., but Canada lost 4-3 in extra time after Norwegian referee Christiana Pedersen ruled that McLeod held the ball for more than six seconds, leading to the Americans’ tying penalty kick at Old Trafford.

RECORD SETTER

Sinclair holds the record for most international goals by any player — male or female. The Burnaby, B.C., star surpassed American rival Abby Wambach by scoring her 185th in an 11-0 rout of St. Kitts and Nevis in Olympic qualifying on Jan. 29, 2020. The greatest Canadian soccer player of all time, Sinclair retired in 2023 with 190 goals in 331 appearances for the senior national team.

OLYMPIC GOLD

The Canadian women captured gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after winning bronze at the previous two Summer Games. Julia Grosso converted the winning penalty as Canada defeated Sweden 3-2 in a shootout following a 1-1 draw through extra time. The thrilling run included a 1-0 win over the United States in the semifinal, marking Canada’s first senior win against the Americans since 2001.

WELCOME TO THE ICETECA

The weather was -9 C at kickoff for a Nov. 16, 2021, World Cup qualifier between Canada and Mexico at Commonwealth Stadium — affectionately dubbed “Iceteca Stadium” as a nod to the renowned Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Cyle Larin scored twice in a 2-1 victory and Sam Adekugbe famously celebrated by jumping into a snowbank next to the field.

Four months later, the Canadian men clinched a berth in the 2022 Qatar World Cup with a 4-0 victory over Jamaica in Toronto, ending a 36-year drought.

AIR DAVIES

After Canada’s goalless tournament in 1986 — and goalless opener in 2022 — Alphonso Davies scored the nation’s first-ever goal at a men’s World Cup in group-stage action against Croatia in Qatar. Davies, the face of the men’s program and current team captain, leapt into the air and headed home a Tajon Buchanan cross just 68 seconds into the match. Canada fell 4-1 despite the quick start, remaining winless at the tournament.

VANCITY VICTORY

Thursday’s matchup against Qatar verged on must-win territory after Canada drew Bosnia-Herzegovina in its Group B opener — and the Canadian men delivered. Cyle Larin opened the scoring in the 16th minute before David struck twice before halftime in front of a red-clad crowd in Vancouver. The celebration gave way to concern early in the second half when Koné needed to be stretchered off following a devastating leg injury. Nathan Saliba honoured his teammate by holding up a Koné jersey after coming on as a substitute and scoring on a free kick.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2026.