Can Alphonso Davies Lead Canada to a Historic World Cup Run?

Davies the Player

Davies began his professional career in the MLS with the Vancouver Whitecaps before a transfer to the German giant Bayern Munich in 2019. He has been with the club since then and has made 167 appearances, scoring 6 goals. He had an assist in both matches in Bayern’s recent loss to PSG in the 2026 Champions League semifinals.

Last year, he signed a new contract with Bayern, extending him until 2030. He has been a fixture for the club and, in his first year with them, was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Season.

Davies has 58 caps for the Canada team, and while he is a defender, he also has 15 goals.

While he is currently injured, he should be ready to go to Qatar or at least for the last group match. While he has dealt with injuries throughout his career, what player hasn’t? He has only one major injury: an ACL tear that sidelined him for 39 Bundesliga matches in the 2024/2025 season.

Canada's Squad Depth

Canada has more depth than it has in years, and that is why there is high hope on home soil. Veteran Jonathan David is Canada's all-time leading goalscorer (39), and he scored 8 goals for Juventus this season. His leadership will be counted on for the attack.

Ismaël Koné from Sassuolo in Italy's Serie A and Stephen Eustáquio of LAFC in the MLS are the key midfielders and played well in the opening draw. Veteran defender Richie Laryea from Toronto FC is the anchor of the defense, and keeper Maxime Crépeau from Orlando City of the MLS had a solid season for the club and gave up a goal in the opener while making two saves.

The Road Ahead

Canada played their World Cup opener in Toronto, and now they head west to Vancouver for their next two group matches.

Their next match may be the one where they have the best chance of winning, against Qatar. According to the FIFA rankings, Qatar is 49th, and Canada is 32nd. Qatar stunned Switzerland in their opening World Cup match, playing to a 1-1 draw, leveling the match with a late goal in the fourth minute of injury time. Qatar is a solid defensive squad that the Canadians have to crack.

Canada’s last group match will be against Switzerland, which is 19th in the FIFA rankings. The Swiss play with tactical discipline, and they tend to frustrate teams. Canada has to stay steady against a solid Swiss side that has advanced to the knockout phase of the last three World Cups.

Betting Angle

Canada secured a point in their World Cup opener, and with Qatar and Switzerland also playing to a 1-1 draw, Group B is still up for grabs with all four teams with one point. Also, with securing one point in the opener, Canada increased their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.

This World Cup is different in that it is the first to feature 48 teams rather than the typical 32. That means that not only will the top two teams from every group advance to the knockout stage, but eight third-place finishers will also advance.

Here are the current odds for the Group B winner at the top Canadian sportsbooks:

Switzerland 2.00
Canada 2.50

Bosnia-Herzegovina 6.00
Qatar 26.00

Here are the current odds to advance to the knockout stage:

Switzerland 1.12
Canada 1.12
Bosnia-Herzegovina 1.36
Qatar 3.50

Canada is still a major longshot to win the whole tournament at 151.00, with the teams with the top three odds being France (5.00), Spain (6.00), and England (8.00).