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Canada open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Alphonso Davies is not part of the lineup. Canada play the first of their three group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto. Despite the importance of the match, the team’s biggest star, Alphonso Davies, will not be part of the starting lineup. The 25-year-old left back suffered a hamstring injury on May 6 while playing for Bayern Munich against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. Since then, he has focused on his recovery process in an effort to be in the best possible condition for the World Cup. That process, while gradual, has progressed favorably. However, the player, head coach Jesse Marsch, and Canada‘s medical staff decided not to rush his return and risk any setbacks. As a result, Davies will not be part of the starting lineup against Bosnia and Herzegovina, although he will be available among the substitutes. Davies himself had spoken about his priorities when planning his preparation for the start of the World Cup, explaining that if missing the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina was necessary to ensure a full recovery, he would have no hesitation in doing so. Today’s starters, presented by @GE_Appliances 🍁 JD and Tani up top🍁 Max is in goal🍁 Staqs captains the sideLET’S GO CANADA!#CANMNT #OurGameNow pic.twitter.com/UsbLKh2AVz— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 12, 2026 “The first game is coming up pretty quickly. I think we understand how important the first game is. But we understand recovery is always an important thing,” the Canadian defender said last week. “There’s no need to rush, just keep continuing the recovery.” Alphonso Davies’ replacement With Alphonso Davies still not at 100 percent physically or match-fit, Canada will have to face what is perhaps the most important game in the national team’s history without their biggest star. That is because of the significance of opening a World Cup on home soil and the importance of securing a positive result against Bosnia and Herzegovina to put themselves in a strong position to advance to the Round of 32. With that in mind, head coach Jesse Marsch had to look for alternatives when putting together his lineup. In recent years, Alphonso Davies has played internationally both as a left back and in more advanced positions. On Friday, Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea will occupy the left side of Canada’s defense. Meanwhile, Hull City player Liam Millar will take up a role on the left side of midfield. Canada’s upcoming challenges Alphonso Davies’ absence from the starting lineup on Friday will give him six additional days to continue building toward full fitness before the next match. Canada will face their second Group B test on June 18 against Qatar in Vancouver. Six days later, they will close out their World Cup group-stage campaign against Switzerland.
Tottenham have confirmed Yves Bissouma will leave the club when his contract expires this summer. Spurs have also confirmed a group of under-21 players who will leave the club, including Pele Arganese-McDermott, Tyrell Ashcroft, Leo Black, Dante Cassanova, Matthew Craig and Calum Logan. Long-serving defender Ben Davies has committed a further year to the club in agreeing a new deal.
Nikola Vasilj knows all about Alphonso Davies. The Bosnia-Herzegovina goalkeeper plied his trade in Germany's top division over the last two seasons. Davies is continuing to work back from a hamstring injury as one of the tournament co-hosts prepare to face the Bosnians on home soil.
Canada are closely monitoring Alphonso Davies' recovery ahead of their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canada, one of the host nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will be among the first teams to make their tournament debut when they face Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto. That early opener has created some uncertainty for their plans, as Alphonso Davies‘ availability remains in question. “The first game is coming up pretty quickly. I think we understand how important the first game is. But we understand recovery is always an important thing,” the left back said during a press conference this week alongside head coach Jesse Marsch. The defender is currently recovering from a hamstring injury suffered on May 6 during a match against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League semifinals. The initial recovery timeline was five weeks, meaning his potential return would come almost exactly in time for the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. “If I’m recovering as good as possible, let’s see. If not, then there’s no need to rush, just keep continuing the recovery,” Davies said before expressing optimism about his chances of being available for the opener. “Anything is possible in life. For me, it all depends on how the recovery is going, how these next few days, this week, leading up to the game goes.” Canada left-back Alphonso Davies. Alphonso Davies has struggled with injuries in recent months The attention surrounding Alphonso Davies is understandable. He is Canada‘s most important player, given his experience and success in Europe with Bayern Munich. However, recurring fitness issues have limited his availability in recent months. Head coach Jesse Marsch took over in May 2024, and since then there have been more matches without Davies than with him. The defender appeared in 11 games, including Canada’s entire run at the 2024 Copa America, but missed 18 others. In fact, he has not played an international match since March 2025. Regardless of whether he is available for the World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alphonso Davies is expected to be fully fit for Canada’s next two matches, in which they will battle for a place in the Round of 32. They will face Qatar on June 18 before taking on Switzerland six days later to conclude their Group B campaign.
It wasn't the way Alphonso Davies wanted to return to the field in his hometown of Edmonton, but Canada's captain was still happy to be there. Davies got some running in before his teammates took on Uzbekistan in a pre-World Cup friendly at Commonwealth Stadium on Monday.
“I think Alphonso will play in the World Cup,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said. “I don’t think he’ll be ready for June 12” — referring to Canada’s opening game against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto — "but we’ll see.”
