On Thursday afternoon, the Canadian Men’s National Team (CanMNT) played their first match at BC Place since a 6–0 win over Honduras at last summer’s Gold Cup. They treated the rowdy, red-clad crowd to another 6–0 blowout — this time against Qatar, reduced to nine men after two red cards, on the grandest stage in sport, the World Cup.

Here are three takeaways from the CanMNT’s first-ever World Cup victory.

1. The Larin–David Duo Is Back

After 20 months without a goal for Canada, Cyle Larin netted a crucial goal in last week’s match against Bosnia. He then proved on Thursday that the breakthrough was no fluke.

In the 16th minute at BC Place, Larin pounced on a rebound in the goal area and scored again, making him the first Concacaf player to score in back-to-back World Cup matches since the American Clint Dempsey at Brazil 2014. In celebration, Larin once again plugged his ears in response to his critics. But it was his striking partner, Jonathan David, who needed to block out the merciless global criticism he had received after a poor showing against Bosnia.

David had a strong response at BC Place. He showed brilliant technique with a bottom-corner-bound volley saved by the Qatari keeper (min 7), a blistering half-volley that led to Larin’s goal (min 16), a highlight-reel volley to take the 2–0 lead (min 29), and a flying kick at the goal line to take the 3–0 lead (min 45+5). He also closed out the scoring at 6–0 with a left-footed strike (min 90+2). Only he and Lionel Messi have bagged hat tricks so far at this World Cup.

The sudden explosion of goals for Larin and David — the CanMNT’s two all-time leading goal scorers — bodes well for Canada.

2. One Star In, One Star Out

Until Thursday, Moïse Bombito’s only appearance for Canada after fracturing his tibia in October 2025 was a half-hour stint against Uzbekistan two and a half weeks ago. He left that match with a limp. At BC Place, the athletic Ligue 1 centre-back returned to the pitch as a half-time sub for Derek Cornelius and played alongside Luc de Fougerolles.

The preferred centre-back partnership throughout Jesse Marsch’s tenure has been Cornelius and Bombito, but Bombito’s replacement of Cornelius may signal a changing of the guard. The 20-year-old de Fougerolles has matured as a CanMNT player and has looked particularly solid this June, while Cornelius — who fell out of favour at both Marseille and Rangers during the European club season — has not been at his best. The Bombito–de Fougerolles partnership could be Marsch’s new centre-back pairing.

Ismaël Koné went down with a broken leg when he was tackled by Qatar’s Assim Madibo early in the second half. Marsch would say later that everyone on the bench could hear the bone snap. Madibo received Qatar’s second red card of the match, and Koné was carried away on a stretcher.

Koné has become Canada’s primary quarterback in midfield, so his absence is a harsh blow to the ascendant Canadian side. However, the CanMNT have already proven they can turn a shocking injury into a galvanizing force at a major tournament — they did so when Tajon Buchanan broke his leg during a training session at the 2024 Copa América.

Nathan Saliba scored a free kick soon after subbing in for Koné (min 64). Saliba then formed the number 8, Koné’s number, with his hands, and he held up a Koné jersey to the crowd. The CanMNT are a tight-knit squad with better-than-ever roster depth, and they will need to lean into those qualities in the absence of Koné.

3. The Stuff a Soccer Nation Is Made Of

Canada has passionate footy fans, and soccer is far and away the country’s most-played team sport, yet it is not perceived as a soccer nation. During Canada’s World Cup hosting duties and in the lead-up to them, people from inside and outside Canada’s borders have described our country as a hockey nation with little interest and ability in soccer.

One reason for the misconception is Canada’s lack of success on the world stage, which is now changing. The draw with Bosnia was a small step in a new direction. The 6–0 thrashing of Qatar was a giant leap.

Thousands of Canadian fans marched through the streets of Vancouver with flags, flares, and face paint. They filled BC Place with red, kept the noise levels high, put pressure on the referee, pushed their team to a historic win, and were seen by viewers in every corner of the globe. Along with the CanMNT, they altered perceptions of what soccer means in Canada.

On the Mexican TV broadcast, for example, one analyst previewed Canada’s match by stating, incorrectly, that in Canada — a nation that had never won a match at a men’s World Cup — soccer is the third or fourth most-played team sport. As the CanMNT approached their first World Cup win in resounding fashion, however, the Mexican analysts simply heaped praise on the victors and their supporters. In the footballing world, winning is the path to respect.

What’s Next?

The CanMNT will face Switzerland at BC Place on Wednesday, June 24, at 12:00p.m. local time. Thanks to their emphatic win over Qatar, a draw against Switzerland would be enough to secure first place in Group B. Topping the group would allow Marsch’s side to stay with their boisterous West Coast support at BC Place as they enter the knockout stage.