Canada has finally gotten a win at the 2026 World Cup — though it came at a price.
In the second game of group stage play, Les Rouges crushed Qatar 6-0 to pick up its first victory in its history at the tournament. Qatar picked up two straight red cards during the game, ending with nine players and looking completely incapable of stopping the Canadian attack.
Advertisement
It took little time for Canada to get on the board, with Cyle Larin finding the back of the net in the 16th minute off a rebound shot. Jonathan David then picked up a first-half brace, first scoring off a volley in the 29th minute before getting a rebound in first-half stoppage time.
World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings
Qatar’s foul woes truly started in the 33rd minute, when Homam Ahmed was given a straight red card after denying Tajon Buchanan a goal just outside the box. (Ahmed was originally given a yellow and Canada was awarded a penalty, but the placement of the foul also changed the card under official rules.)
The game then took a turn less than 10 minutes into the second half, as Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné was stretchered off with a potential leg injury after a collision with Assim Madibo. Several players were emotional as Koné was taken off, including Madibo, who was later assessed a red card for the tackle.
Advertisement
Madibo’s red card brought Qatar down to nine players, making it even easier for Canada to continue to pressure them in the box. Nathan Saliba, who had replaced Koné in the 59th minute, scored five minutes later, and lifted Koné’s jersey in celebration.
Canada’s Nathan Saliba (25) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during their win over Qatar. (Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(Jared C. Tilton – FIFA via Getty Images)
Still, the goals kept coming. In the 75th minute, Jacob Shaffelburg forced a pretty egregious own goal from Mohamed Manai to bring Canada up to 5-0. And two minutes into second-half stoppage time, Jonathan David hit the hat trick to secure a 6-0 win.
Even with the feat, David’s reaction to hitting a hatty was pretty muted. David had been visibly upset as Koné was carted off; it’s possible that his teammate was more top of mind.
Advertisement
After the game, the two teams got into a bit of a scrum, with Canadian coach Jesse Marsch and Qatari coach Julien Lopetegui not ending the game with a friendly handshake, via The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.
With 2026 marking just the third World Cup appearance for Canada, Les Rouges entered Thursday’s match with a 0W-1D-6L all-time record in the tournament. Canada picked up its first-ever point with a draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, but the team was really holding out for that win.
Now, finally, they’ve got it, and in dominant fashion. Canada racked up 31 shots throughout the game, with 10 shots on target. They held 78% of the possession and had 19 corner kicks, while holding Qatar to only two shots in total — both in the first half, and neither on target.
The win puts Les Rouges at the top of Group B, while Qatar, which had snatched a draw against Switzerland last week, sits at the bottom.
