From John Giles to Galway United, there are plenty of football connections between the two countriesAlphonso Davies, a regular trophy winner with Bayern Munich, is one of the reasons Canada are optimistic about their prospects at the World Cup. Photograph: Stefan Matzke/Sampics/Getty Images James McDermottFri Jun 05 2026 - 15:00 • 4 MIN READPlayed six. Lost six. As they prepare to co-host the World Cup for the first time, Canada can at least claim to have been the tournament’s most consistent performers so far, having been beaten in every previous appearance at the finals. In their last dress rehearsal for the latest edition, Canada host Ireland for the first time, with the only other encounter between the sides coming in a Lansdowne Road friendly in November 2003. The Boys in Green won that 3-0, Damien Duff opening the scoring before Robbie Keane netted twice. The most famous player in that Canadian team was striker Paul Peschisolido, who returned to Dublin in 2009 as assistant manager of St Patrick’s Athletic. A 2-1 defeat to Canada knocked Ireland out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup at the group stage. The match subsequently attracted scrutiny during the “Spygate” scandal, with Canadian coaching staff accused of using drones to spy on opponents. Allegations of espionage aside, the most exciting meeting between the countries came at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in November 2025, when Ireland defeated Canada 9-8 on penalties to qualify for the round of 16. One of the successful Irish penalty takers, midfielder Grady McDonnell, was born and raised in Canada. In January 2024 McDonnell became the youngest player in the history of the Canadian Premier League by signing a professional contract with Vancouver FC when aged 15 years and 11 months. A year later McDonnell moved to Club Brugge for €350,000, the second largest fee ever paid for the Canadian Premier League player.Perhaps the most important Irish contribution to Canadian soccer was made by John Giles, who was player-manager of the Vancouver Whitecaps from 1981 to 1984 and was named North American Soccer League Coach of the Year in 1982. Giles signed several Irish internationals for the Whitecaps including Pierce O’Leary, Jimmy Holmes and Liam Buckley. More recent Boys in Green to move to Canada include Andy O’Brien (Vancouver Whitecaps), Darren O’Dea (Toronto FC) and Joe Mason (Cavalry FC). Reversing the trend is Kevin Long, who in March 2026 joined Waterford United from Toronto FC. Grady McDonnell. Photograph: Inpho The most recognisable Canadian name to hard-core League of Ireland fans is David Norman, owing to a multigenerational contribution to Irish soccer. In the early 1980s, during their long winter break, Giles sent several Vancouver Whitecaps to Ireland to continue their football education playing for UCD. Double-jobbing on the Belfield campus proved particularly successful for Norman, who subsequently graduated into the national side, winning 49 caps and playing in all three group games for Canada at their first appearance at the World Cup Finals in 1986. His son Dave Norman jnr is a Canada under-21 international who spent a season at St Patrick’s Athletic, culminating in him winning the 2023 FAI Cup Final after a 3-1 victory over Bohemians. The Irish club of choice for the current generation of Canadian players is Galway United. The Tribesman’s best player this season has been winger Kris Twardek, who joined in January having previously represented Sligo Rovers and Bohemians. Twardek is a full Canadian international winning his sole cap as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat to El Salvador in 2017. Also based at Eamonn Deacy Park are Nicolas Chateau and former Canadian under-17 international defender Gianfranco Facchineri. Alan Mannus. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho The most successful Canadia-born player in League of Ireland history is goalkeeper Alan Mannus, who won the League of Ireland with Shamrock Rovers six times before retiring aged 41. Although born in Toronto, Mannus represented Northern Ireland, winning nine caps. Mannus is not the only player the Canadian FA have allowed to slip through their fingers. Owen Hargreaves, who won the Champions League with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, was born and raised in Canada but preferred to become the first person to play for England having never previously lived there. Then there is the case of the Toronto-born De Guzmán siblings, with Jonathan playing 14 times for the Netherlands while brother Julian won 89 caps for Canada.In May 2024 Canada appointed former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch as manager, recently extending his contract to 2030. The Princeton-educated Marsch has done an excellent job, leading Canada to the 2024 Copa America semi-finals and only losing only one of his last 16 matches. An optimist, Marsch declared when announcing his World Cup squad: “We have really our best group of 26 players that this country has ever assembled at any one time.” Jonathan David is Canada's record goalscorer. Photograph: Dale MacMillan/Soccrates/Getty Images Canada’s generational talent is captain Alphonso Davies, whose extraordinary life story started with being born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents fleeing civil war before emigrating to Canada as a five-year-old. Davies made his international debut for Canada at 16 and, with Bayern Munich in 2020, became the first Canadian international to win the Champions League. In 2022 Davis had the honour of scoring Canada’s first ever goal at the World Cup finals when he opened the scoring in a 4-1 defeat to Croatia. The other remarkable talent available to Marsch is Juventus striker Jonathan David, whose 2020 move from Gent to Lille for €30 million remains the highest fee paid for a Canadian. David quickly proved excellent value for money as his goals enabled Lille to pip PSG to the league title in 2021. Still just 26 years of age, David is Canada’s record scorer with 39 international goals. However, for many Irish fans the most familiar face in the Canadian squad will be Alistair Johnston, who has just won the double alongside fellow defender Liam Scales at Celtic.IN THIS SECTION