HOUSTON – Alphonso Davies said it was his decision not to play in Canada’s final World Cup game, a 3-0 loss against Morocco in the round of 16.The Bayern Munich star left-back and Canada captain said that during Friday’s training session, he “felt something” that suggested he had not fully recovered from the hamstring injury he entered the World Cup with.“Me and (Canada head coach Jesse Marsch) had a conversation. He (asked) if I feel 100 percent, I told him, ‘No,’ to be honest,” Davies told reporters in the mixed zone after Canada’s loss. “Obviously, we want players on the pitch that are 100 percent to play the game and can 100 percent give everything. I felt like I wasn’t there yet, so this is why we made the decision, or I made the decision to sit down and give the players the opportunity to play that can give 100 percent to the country.”Davies ended his second World Cup playing just 15 total minutes in one substitute appearance in Canada’s round-of-32 game against South Africa.After Canada went down 1-0 to Morocco in the second half and needed to push to tie the game, the timing felt optimal to bring in Davies. However, despite Marsch saying during the official pre-game press conference on Friday that Davies was “available” to play, the 25-year-old remained on the bench.“(Davies) didn’t feel right yesterday in training and we got an MRI and it was clear,” Marsch said postgame. “So, the good news was that there was no injury, but he didn’t – his hamstring didn’t feel right. And we were hoping that by the time this morning (when) he woke up, that he would feel better, but he didn’t. And so we wanted to be cautious and make sure that we weren’t risking anything.”Davies’ only World Cup action came in a 15-minute cameo against South Africa. (Reuters / Daniel Cole)Davies did run sprints at halftime. However, he never warmed up with substitutes during the game.“Obviously, at the 60th minute, when it’s 1-0, (it) would have been great to have him in the match, or even at halftime, right?” Marsch continued. “But we weren’t able to have him healthy and it killed him more than anyone. But I think it was the right decision to preserve him in his career, and get him fully healthy.”Davies has now played just once for Canada since March 2025. He has dealt with different injuries including a torn ACL and multiple hamstring injuries. The weight of those past injuries wore heavily on Davies during the biggest game in Canadian men’s soccer history.“It’s an injury where you can’t take any risk,” Davies said. “Obviously, with my history of hamstring injuries, I’ve had it three times back-to-back in the last three, four months, it’s something that’s very delicate. Especially with my game, there’s a lot of speed, a lot running. So if a player’s not 100 percent, that has that speed, it’s tough to give everything.”As Davies stayed on the bench in the second half, questions continued on social media about whether the Canadian star would enter the game. Davies said postgame he didn’t want to be a “burden” on his teammates.“Every time I play the game, I want to give my all and fully play this game with freedom and no injuries,” Davies added. “But at this time it was tough. Obviously, it was tough sitting there, watching the game, knowing I’m not 100 percent.”Canada dominated the first half against Morocco, getting 13 touches in Morocco’s box compared to just one from Morocco. However, Morocco’s experience shone in the second half as they weathered the storm and ended up making the most of their chances.Perhaps having a dynamic and experienced player like Davies could have helped Canada.“The first half was very good for the guys,” Davies said of Canada’s performance. “I think everybody in that first half played the way we wanted to play and we pressed the way wanted to press. The game was there for us. Obviously, we could’ve finished our chances more, but mentally for me it was tough, obviously every game to sit there and watch, knowing you want to be on the pitch was tough.”Jul 4, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms