Ahead of the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, we here at For The Win are previewing some key teams to watch in this tournament. Next up is the Argentina women’s national team. You can see the full list of team previews and read about the USWNT here.
The Canadian women’s national team heads to Australia and New Zealand as FIFA’s seventh-ranked team in the world. But the defending Olympic gold medalists have their sights set even higher in what could be legendary forward Christine Sinclair’s final World Cup. Sinclair could cap a truly epic career with a win on the biggest stage there is — but there’s more to this team than just the all-timer leading it.
Here’s what you’ll need to know about the Canadian national squad ahead of the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
Canada group and schedule
Canada is in Group B with Nigeria, Australia and Ireland. The Aussies are favored to win the group, but Canada is expected to survive to the knockout round. Here’s the team’s group stage schedule:
- July 21 vs. Nigeria | 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX
- July 26 vs. Ireland | 7 a.m. ET on FS1
- July 31 vs. Australia | 5 a.m. ET on FOX
Key players for the Canadians
Christine Sinclair: Sinclair is the most legendary player in Canadian history, a star with 323 international appearances to her credit and 190 goals. At 40 years old, she may no longer provide the kind of impact she carried in her younger days, but she remains a dangerous forward and respected leader who has won NWSL and Olympic tournaments. But she’s never played in a World Cup final.
Simi Awujo: At 19 years old she’s Canada’s rising star. The US-born midfielder and USC All-Pac-12 star is a conduit in the middle of the field who sees plays unfold with exceptional vision and touch. She has only six appearances with the senior national team to her credit, but this trip to Oceania could serve as her coming-out party on the landscape of international soccer.
Vanessa Gilles: The powerful defender finds herself in the middle of seemingly every opponent’s attack, earning the nickname “the Magnet” for her ability to track the ball and snuff out scoring opportunities. After working her way into the starting lineup in the team’s 2021 Olympic gold medal run, she’s primed for a larger role for what could be the most successful Canadian club in World Cup history.
Canada's recent World Cup history
2019: Round of 16
2015: Quarterfinalists
2011: Eliminated in group stage
2007: Eliminated in group stage
2003: Fourth place
What the experts are saying about Canada
Via The Guardian:
Coming in as the Olympic champions, the expectation for Canada is that they will get out of the group stage and put up strong performances in the knockout rounds. The squad believe they have the quality needed to lift the trophy. “Our chances are high if we play our game, we focus on ourselves, we have all the details,” Vanessa Gilles said to reporters in Toronto in June. “We’re going in it to win it.”
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