Canada vs. Switzerland live updates: World Cup game to kick off with Group B top spot on the line in Vancouver

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06/24/26 14:41

How much do the players and Team Canada make in the tournament?

– Neil Davidson

For those wondering, under terms of their collective bargaining agreement with Canada Soccer, the Canadian men earn $25,000 for each of the three group games at the World Cup. That’s the same amount the women will get from their World Cup.

As for the knockout rounds, the players will share 50 per cent of their tournament prize money (not counting the purse awarded to participating teams for group-stage participation) with the Canadian women. Canada Soccer retains the other 50 per cent. The women’s share is contingent on their qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. If they don’t qualify, their share reverts to Canada Soccer for reinvestment in grassroots soccer and youth national teams.

The agreement calls for the same split between women and men from the Women’s World Cup winnings.

Canada is already guaranteed US$12.5-million from FIFA at this tournament – US$2.5-million in preparation costs and US$10-million for qualifying. Making the round of 32 will add another US$1-million to its take. And the number increases the deeper you go in the competition.

The tournament winner makes US$50-million in prize money, with the runner-up collecting US$33-million.

06/24/26 14:40

A clash of crimson and white as Canadian and Swiss fans descend on stadium

– Andrea Woo

Gooood game day morning! It’s Andrea Woo in downtown Vancouver. It’s a clash of red outside Science World – the de facto meeting point for most fan groups, which has been transformed into the red, green and blue Trionda match ball – with both Canada and Switzerland supporters clad in crimson.

It is sticky here in Vancouver today; 24 degrees in the morning and expected to rise. But the energy is high! Seeing lots of love for injured Canada midfielder Ismaël Koné in the form of placards, posters and mylar balloons bearing his number 8.

06/24/26 14:31

Koné gets a loud welcome as he rolls onto the pitch

– Moira Wyton

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Canada got huge cheers as the team took to the field for warm-up, but it was a whisper compared to the applause in the stadium for Ismaël Koné. He saluted the crowd as a staff member rolled him to the sidelines in a wheelchair, and then switched to crutches when he got to the Canada bench.

And while the team is getting warm down on the field, things are heating up here in the media tribune. It’s hot out today, and even if it weren’t, the stiff climb up to my perch for today’s game would do the trick.

06/24/26 14:23

‘I paid $88 for my seat’

– Moira Wyton

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Not all last-minute resellers are price-gouging. Jason Tsobanos was in Nanaimo for a work trip when an old friend offered him a ticket to today’s match. Tsobanos, a huge soccer fan, had been trying to get tickets – it turns out the extra round-trip on the ferry will probably cost more than his seat.

“I’m going to make some people really upset with this. I paid $88 for my seat,” said the 38-year-old from Maple Ridge, B.C., who raced back to the mainland on the ferry this morning.

Tsobanos would have been willing to pay up to $800, but his friend wouldn’t hear it. “He offered it to me and said he can’t take more than face value … and when he said $88, my mouth dropped," he said. “I couldn’t turn down the opportunity.”

Tsobanos, who works for an appliance company, arrived downtown a couple of hours before kickoff with few belongings, save for a plastic water bottle in a bag, his wallet, phone and a black permanent marker. In the flurry, he didn’t have time to grab a Team Canada jersey or make it to the fan march, but he’s going to ask someone to draw his usual number 12 on his back. Now that’s the World Cup on a shoestring budget.

06/24/26 14:17

Marsch selects all-new midfield duo of Choinière and Saliba

– Paul Attfield

Heading into the hardest match of the World Cup so far, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has selected an all-new midfield duo of Mathieu Choinière and Nathan Saliba to confront world No. 19 Switzerland.

While the replacement of Ismaël Koné was enforced because of the broken leg he suffered against Qatar, moving Stephen Eustáquio to the bench was slightly unexpected, even though he was absent from at least part of training on Sunday. No explanation was given by Canada Soccer for that absence, and he was back at training on Monday.

Other than in the midfield, the rest of the starting 11 are the same as the team which started against Qatar last Thursday, with Jonathan David and Cyle Larin again forming the strike partnership up top. And Alphonso Davies, who hasn’t played for Canada since March, 2025, is on the bench and has been passed fit to play at some point today.

In the absence of Eustáquio, who had led Canada in the first two games of the tournament, David will wear the captain’s armband against Switzerland.

06/24/26 14:08

Canada’s starting lineup includes Larin, David and Buchanan

– Neil Davidson

Today’s starting lineup for Canada go into the game against Switzerland with a combined 530 appearances for the country.

Forward Cyle Larin leads with 92 caps. Defender Luc de Fougerolles has the fewest at 15.

The 11 starting players for the Qatar game that Canada won 6-0 went in with a combined 580 caps, up from 520 for the starters in the tournament opener in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The strength of the Swiss lineup is shown by the fact that all 11 starters play in Europe’s top leagues: four in Germany, three in Spain, two in Italy and one each in France and England.

In contrast, Jonathan David (Italy’s Juventus) and Tajon Buchanan (Spain‘s Villarreal) are the only Canadian starters to play in one of the top five European leagues.

06/24/26 14:03

Swiss fans gear up for the game

– Mike Hager

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Swiss brothers David and Julien Guilloud are energized for today’s game, despite being at the tail end of a trip that has seen them take in their national team’s games in both San Francisco and Los Angeles earlier this month – with a party break in Las Vegas wedged in between.

David, a banker from Lausanne, said the two saved up for the trip for four years, but they’ll have to return home to work before the next round of the tournament.

The pair agreed that the vibes in Vancouver surpass those in the two Californian host cities, which they said felt too spread out for the World Cup to take over.

“Here, we can feel the football – the football is on every street, on every square, in every bar,” said David, who also went to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The brothers, who were marshalling with roughly 2,000 other Swiss fans in Vancouver’s Olympic Village Square before marching to the stadium, figure their team is in for a tough match against a scrappy Canadian squad.

“We hope for a victory, but maybe a draw would be good,” David said.

06/24/26 14:01

A new soccer fan

– Mike Hager

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At 46, Greg Fairbairn never thought he’d be into soccer, let alone cracking his first-ever red flare in the middle of more than 2,000 rabid Team Canada fans at 9:15 a.m.

He grew up playing North American football and hockey in London, Ont., and always thought that “weird people played soccer.”

But after moving to Vancouver, he saw his sons Theo, 8, and Henrik, 11, get into the sport.

Soon, he was learning the game alongside them. He and his wife Jessica became season’s ticket holders for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Major League Soccer team.

All four walked from their nearby home today to cheer and chat with a growing crowd that waited to head into the stadium.

“Not only is it an event that we get to do together and hopefully remember in a positive way years from now, but it’s also just learning the sport and learning their culture,” he said.

06/24/26 13:59

Canada and Switzerland have vastly different World Cup histories

– Neil Davidson

Canada and Switzerland enter today’s Group B decider with vastly different World Cup histories.

The Swiss boast a record of 15-19-9 with 60 goals to their credit in 13 appearances at the tournament. They are looking to advance out of the group stage for the sixth time in their last seven World Cup participations. Switzerland reached the quarterfinals in 1934, 1938 and 1954.

Canada, which is in its third trip to the tournament, has a 1-6-1 record with nine goals overall. The Canadian men have already made history this time with their first-ever tournament win, and they are looking to advance to the knockout rounds for the first time.

Canada and Switzerland have met just once before, with Canada winning 3-1 in the Swiss city of St. Gallen in a May 2002 friendly.

06/24/26 13:58

Who is the top goal scorer of the World Cup so far?

– Sarah Wallace

There have been goals galore this World Cup, with more than 100 scored so far. But three players are leading the pack in the race for the coveted Golden Boot award.

The award is given to the top goal scorer of the tournament. Right now, Lionel Messi is in the lead with five goals in two games. The Argentine now holds the record for the most goals in World Cup history, with 18.

Here are the standings so far:

1. Argentina’s Lionel Messi (five goals, no assists)

2. (tied) France’s Kylian Mbappé (four goals, no assists)

2. (tied) Norway’s Erling Haaland (four goals, no assists)

4. Germany’s Deniz Undav (three goals, two assists)

5. Canada’s Jonathan David (three goals, no assists)

If contenders for the Golden Boot award are tied on goals, the number of assists each player had in the tournament will determine the winner. If it is still tied, the person who played the least minutes will be victorious.

06/24/26 13:49

Why are people getting red cards for covering their mouths?

– Sarah Wallace

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This picture of Jude Bellingham went viral yesterday. It shows the England midfielder covering his mouth while talking to Ghana’s Jordan Ayew. It’s an action that could have gotten him a red card.

A new rule was introduced this World Cup: the Prestianni Rule. It states that a player can be given a red card for covering their mouth during a confrontation with an opponent, sending them off for the remainder of the match and forcing the player to miss their next game.

It was introduced and named after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who was handed a six-match ban for making discriminatory slurs toward Vinícius Júnior with his mouth covered at a UEFA Champions League match in February.

The rule has already resulted in a red card at this year’s tournament. Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron covered his mouth while talking to Turkey’s Mert Muldur during a melee on Friday. Almiron will miss Paraguay’s crucial match against Australia tomorrow, which could determine who makes it through Group D.

So why wasn’t Bellingham given a red card? No evidence of a confrontation or foul play was displayed; the English player was merely talking with the Ghanaian.

06/24/26 13:49

Need to establish control of the midfield

– Paul Attfield

Hi there, my name is Paul Attfield, and I’m a sports reporter for The Globe based in Toronto.

I’ll be watching today’s game on telly today, and I’m eager to see how Canada’s new-look midfield will hold up in what should be a stern test against Switzerland.

As Stephen Eustáquio told me when we sat down for an interview last month, when it comes to tournament matches like this, “if you don’t win the midfield, it’s probably harder to get a W.”

Obviously, Canada doesn’t need the win – a draw would be enough for it to secure the top spot in Group B and at least one more home match in Vancouver – but the point still stands.

Establishing control in the middle of the pitch, particularly against a savvy European team like the Swiss, will go a long way toward helping Canada get the result it wants today.

06/24/26 13:48

Qatar player issued ban over Koné injury

– Neil Davidson

My name is Neil Davidson and I’m a sportswriter for The Globe. Like you, I’ll be watching today’s game to see where it sends Canada next at the World Cup.

Ahead of kickoff in Vancouver, some news.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed a five-game ban on Qatar’s Assim Madibo, who was sent off for a challenge that broke Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné’s leg in Canada’s 6-0 win at BC Place on June 18.

The suspension was imposed for a breach of Article 14.1.e of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (serious foul play).

Madibo subsequently visited Kone to wish him well on his recovery.

06/24/26 13:38

Canada arrives

– Moira Wyton

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Canada has arrived and, like at the last game, the team is all business. Headphones on, looking straight ahead and walking at a relaxed pace. The players still haven’t told me what they’re listening to.

Alphonso Davies didn’t bring up the rear as he did last time. The captain, who is expected to return to play today, was second to last.

After him, Ismaël Koné navigated the wrinkly faux grass carpet on his crutches with a team staff member at his side and another following with a wheelchair. The young midfielder looked good – as good as anyone who snapped their leg last week could.

06/24/26 13:34

Switzerland arrives

– Moira Wyton

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Team Switzerland just got off the bus and players are heading down the tunnel to the locker rooms.

Things aren’t exactly running like a Swiss watch for the Canadians, who were supposed to arrive first. I’m told they’ll be here in 10 minutes, with kickoff about an hour and a half away.

06/24/26 13:15

Who could Canada face in the knockout stages?

– Sarah Wallace

Canada has a very good chance of making it to the round of 32, which starts on Sunday. There are two main paths that the Canadian men could take if they make the knockout stages – one more clearly defined than the other.

If Canada loses today’s match against Switzerland, the team will likely finish second in Group B and play on Sunday in Los Angeles at 12 p.m. PT. The Canadians would face the second-place team in Group A: South Africa, South Korea or Czechia (Mexico, which rounds out Group A, has already finished first).

If Canada wins or ties against Switzerland, the team will stay in Vancouver and play on July 2 at 8 p.m. PT. The team would face the third-place team in Group E, F, G, I or J, based on point qualifications.

As it stands right now, in that scenario, Canada is most likely to play either Belgium in Group G or Algeria in Group J. Canada played against Belgium in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, and the European country won 1-0.

06/24/26 13:00

The ice cream situation at the stadium

– David Ebner

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Not all heroes wear capes.

The main concourse at BC Place has automatic soft-serve ice cream vending machines. Last week, on a World Cup off day with a Canada press conference at the stadium, I paid something like $3 for vanilla with cookies and cream crumble. Best deal at BC Place.

But on game day, I discovered dynamic pricing has creeped into all areas of life, including soft-serve ice cream vending machines. Capitalism is unstoppable. Match day price? $8. I paid. Delicious!

Unclear as yet whether I can expense that; my editor hasn’t gotten back to me. But, bad news: On Tuesday this week for the Canada press conference, all the ice cream was sold out. Devastating. This morning, arriving at BC Place, I saw the urgent situation was being rectified.

06/24/26 13:00

Vancouver was still waking up on the way downtown

– Moira Wyton

Hi, I’m Moira Wyton, an audience editor at The Globe in our Vancouver bureau. Usually I’m helping connect with readers like you, but today I’m at BC Place, where Team Canada and Team Switzerland are about to arrive.

Though the bars are open, Vancouver was still waking up on my way downtown this morning. More fans on Granville Street were chugging coffee instead of beers, even those in full maple-leaf face paint.

Right now in the media holding area in the stadium’s basement, plenty of fellow journalists are scarfing down fast-food breakfast sandwiches and enjoying the complimentary coffee. But there’s no decaf, so I’m sticking to water before the action begins.

06/24/26 13:00

Joining the Team Canada march

– Mike Hager

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Mike Hager here, reporter in The Globe’s B.C. Bureau and taker of horrible selfies. I just started my day at the growing Team Canada march a short walk from the stadium and will be interviewing fans here and then across the city. Hopefully these tens of thousands of folks get to celebrate in public today.

More than two hours before kickoff, thousands chanted and clapped as the Team Canada march began its kilometre or so journey to the stadium.

People of all ages and ethnicities were clad in red as they crowded together to form a tight unit just east of Vancouver’s Science World, which has had its iconic “golf ball” dome turned into a FIFA-branded soccer ball.

Dozens of police officers blocked the streets and greeted fans.

06/24/26 13:00

Riding over to watch the game in person

– David Ebner

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Hello Canada, Dave Ebner here, writing about the game today. Riding my bike to BC Place this morning around 8:15 a.m., along Beach Avenue on English Bay, I can report the city is pumped and primed. Easy to guess this guy’s favourite player, who at long last will be back on the pitch today.

And to be a little promotional, like Eli Cash in The Royal Tenenbaums, if you’re interested I have a bunch of Canada stories here.

06/24/26 13:00

How to watch the games in Canada

- Moira Wyton

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You can watch all 104 matches on television on TSN, or subscribe to stream them on TSN.ca or the TSN+ app. Check your cable package to see if you have TSN included, and find the full broadcast schedule here.

Thirty matches, including all three Canada group-stage games, will be available to watch on CTV or to stream through the CTV channel via the Crave app.

And The Globe and Mail will have live coverage of all Team Canada matches, as well as news and analysis throughout the tournament, which you can find here.

06/24/26 13:00

What Canada must focus on ahead of its World Cup match against Switzerland

- David Ebner

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Now comes the hard part.

After Canada finally won its first-ever World Cup match, a 6-0 drubbing of Qatar on Thursday, the team and Canadians across the country celebrated the victory. But as everyone knows, Canada lost linchpin midfielder Ismaël Koné to a broken leg. And on Wednesday, the game against Group B favourite Switzerland, Canada is, to put it mildly, unlikely to score a half-dozen goals.

But all those goals against Qatar means Canada needs only a draw against the higher-ranked Swiss to win the group and play the round-of-32 at home in Vancouver on July 2. Yet “only a draw” is easy to type and more difficult to pull off on the pitch against a Swiss team equally motivated to win the group.

Alphonso Davies

The star will not be starting against Switzerland but will be back on the pitch today. Davies’s situation, recovering from his third hamstring injury this year, is complicated. He had technically been available to deploy if it had been necessary against Qatar but Thursday night, after the win, Marsch conceded that Davies was not yet at 100 per cent.

Scoring against Switzerland

The six-goal deluge was amazing. But, let’s temper things, it came against Qatar. Before Thursday, Canada had managed 12 goals in 11 previous international matches. You don’t need to be savvy with advanced stats to see that is not good. And, worse, most of those goals came in matches against lesser opponents.

The midfield’s missing Koné-factor

Koné is the latest in a litany of injuries. He helps drive Canada’s attack. He’s a centrifugal force.

But as one big player is hurt, another returns. On Thursday, defender Moïse Bombito was back, playing the full second half. Last fall, he broke his left tibia. In recent weeks, his health had been one-step-forward-one-step-back.

Here’s what else Canada needs to focus on ahead of its World Cup match against Switzerland.