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Tournament

Will Alphonso Davies play at the 2026 World Cup?

By the WorldCupExplain editorial teamUpdated 2026-06-14
In a nutshell

Canada named Alphonso Davies in their squad, but his availability is clouded by injury. He tore an ACL in 2025 and has dealt with further setbacks, leaving him a doubt for the opener. Canada's coach expects him to feature at some point as the co-hosts play group games in Toronto and Vancouver.

Key Facts
  • 1Davies was named in Canada's 26-man World Cup squad[1]
  • 2He tore an ACL in March 2025 and has since had additional injury issues[1]
  • 3He is a doubt for Canada's opening match but expected to play some part[1]
  • 4Canada play group games in Toronto (vs Bosnia) and Vancouver (vs Qatar, vs Switzerland)[2]

Canada's biggest star is in the squad, but there's a cloud over how much he'll play.

What's the injury situation?

Alphonso Davies tore an ACL in March 2025 and has had further fitness setbacks since, which made him a doubt for the opening match.

Will he feature at all?

Canada's coach has said he expects Davies to feature at some stage rather than miss the tournament entirely.

Why does his fitness matter so much?

Canada play their group games at home — Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Vancouver against Qatar and Switzerland. A fit Davies, one of the fastest players in the world, would transform the co-hosts' chances, so his recovery is a key storyline.

If You Know NFL/NBA...

It's a classic "is the franchise player healthy for the playoffs?" subplot — a star whose fitness could swing the host team's whole run.

Key Takeaways

  • Canada named Alphonso Davies in their squad, but his availability is clouded by a 2025 ACL injury.
  • His coach expects him to feature at some point as Canada play group games in Toronto and Vancouver.