‘We’re in the present’: Canada set to take on Iceland in World Cup tune-up

By Canadian Press on March 27, 2026.

TORONTO — Richie Laryea and his teammates took the pitch for training Friday morning.

The buzz of power drills echoed around BMO Field as construction crews continued to put finishing touches on a series of upgrades that include a 17,000-seat temporary expansion ahead of the World Cup.

Canada’s men’s soccer team, meanwhile, was finalizing plans on the grass below ahead of a pair of warm-up matches with the clock ticking down to this summer’s global showcase.

The national squad hosts Iceland Saturday in an international friendly and gets another test Tuesday against Tunisia. Canada will play two more exhibition matches this spring before its World Cup opener June 12 in Toronto.

“It makes the stadium look grand,” Laryea, a Toronto FC defender set to again pull on Canada’s jersey in his hometown, said of the venue’s towering, shimmering stands behind each goal. “This is a big moment for our city.”

The 29th-ranked Canadians raise their World Cup curtain in Group B at BMO Field, which will be renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament, against either No. 12 Italy — the four-time champions — or No. 66 Bosnia-Herzegovina after both advanced in the European playoffs Thursday. The countries meet Tuesday in a winner-take-all encounter.

“Those matches create a little bit of hardened toughness for what will be necessary in the World Cup,” said Jesse Marsch, Canada’s head coach. “Whether it’s Bosnia or Italy, they’ll have that under their belt. (But) I’m really lasered in on making sure that we get the most out of our camp and these two matches.”

Iceland, ranked No. 75, failed to make the World Cup, while No. 45 Tunisia will be in Group F with the Netherlands and Japan, along with either Sweden or Poland, which will also decide that spot Tuesday.

Laryea said worrying about anything other than the upcoming games in Toronto is wasted energy.

“We’re in the present,” he said. “No matter who we’ve played — a really, really strong team or a team that’s just good — we’ve always focused on ourselves first.”

With the excitement around the World Cup building, Marsch was asked to describe the squad’s characteristics that casual fans should look for as they begin to follow the program’s march.

“Very fast and powerful and talented … a team that has incredible work ethic and commitment,” he said. “Every moment that this team plays on the pitch, they give everything they have, and they give everything they have to each other and to the badge and to the country.”

Marsch expects a tricky opponent in Iceland, which still features veteran striker Gylfi Sigurdsson, formerly of Tottenham, Swansea City and Everton in the Premier League.

“They’ve created a real organized sense of identity within the football they play,” said the American-born coach, who will start Dayne St. Clair in goal Saturday. “They try to be aggressive at times with the way that they play with the ball and the way that they defend.

“They also aren’t afraid to make it difficult for a team to break them down by defensively being a little bit deeper and looking to catch you on the counter.”

Canada, meanwhile, is well short of a full-strength roster in Toronto.

Captain and star left back Alphonso Davies continues to recover from a strained hamstring after returning from a torn knee ligament, while striker Promise David (hip surgery) and midfielder Stephen Eustáquio (hematoma) are also absent. The Canadians won’t have right back Alistair Johnston (hamstring surgery) or centre back Moïse Bombito (fractured tibia) available, but both have been taking part in this week’s camp following long layoffs.

After tangling with either Italy or Bosnia-Herzegovina to open the World Cup, Canada will face Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24 at Vancouver’s B.C. Place Stadium.

The country will take No. 50 Uzbekistan in Edmonton on June 1 and No. 58 Ireland in Montreal four days later — its final tune-ups before hosting the tournament alongside the United States and Mexico, set to kick off June 11.

Marsch said he will continue to harp on the same points with his roster when it comes to preparation, including fitness, recovery, nutrition and rest.

“We can’t just turn the switch in May, we can’t just turn the switch (in June),” he said. “This whole last year has been a process of maximizing exactly what we want to be.

“As we get closer, we need to continue to tighten the screws a little bit without feeling stress or panic — just focus and concentration — to make sure that we are at our absolute best.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2026.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press