Canada kicks off 2026 World Cup with multicultural opening ceremony and captain Alphonso Davies sidelined

Canada opened the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver with a lavish ceremony that highlighted the nation’s cultural diversity, featuring Indigenous motifs, digital projections, and performances by Alessia Cara, Vegedream and Michael Bublé. The host team’s first match ended in a 1‑1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Team captain Alphonso Davies, who rose from a refugee camp in Ghana to become the face of Canadian soccer, missed the opening game after sustaining a right‑thigh tendon strain. Coach Jesse Marsch said recent scans show a “very positive” recovery and expects Davies to return later in the tournament.