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Sports Illustrated

Sport

Ben Steiner

Canada Roster Takeaways: Jesse Marsch Recruits Dual Nationals With World Cup in Sight

Jesse Marsch Canada Alfie Jones World Cup Derek Cornelius Moïse Bombito Theo Bair England Junior Hoilett Maxime Crépeau

When Canadian men’s national team head coach Jesse Marsch approached the fall schedule to wrap up 2025, he saw it as a six-game window—not three, two-match windows in September, October, and November.

On Thursday, he unveiled the roster for November, as No. 26-ranked Canada gets set to wrap up 2025 with a Nov. 13 friendly against No. 23 Ecuador in Toronto, before heading to Fort Lauderdale to take on No. 28 Venezuela on Nov. 18.

There are several eyebrow-raising changes in the squad, with the most notable being the dual-national commitments of 21-year-old Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Owen Goodman and 28-year-old Middlesbrough center back Alfie Jones. 22-year-old Tigres UANL midfielder Marcelo Flores also comes into camp as a training player, after previously committing to Mexico’s setup over Canada.

Sports Illustrated takes a look at three key takeaways from the latest squad in the third-last window before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Owen Goodman’s Shock Commitment

Owen Goodman Canada — Owen Goodman has been long sought after by Canada Soccer. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Goodman’s commitment comes as a shock. Previously, he has represented England and Canada at youth levels, but has been unable to play for Canada at the senior level due to eligibility concerns. In August, Marsch shut down talk of a call-up, as Goodman appeared ineligible.

Now on the roster, given his age, regular minutes with Huddersfield, and the fact that he’s on a Premier League contract with his parent club, Crystal Palace, he might just be the frontrunner for the third goalkeeper spot on the World Cup roster.

Goodman was born in England but lived in Canada from the age of five until his early teens, when the family moved back to England.

Through that process, he became eligible to represent Canada, despite the hiccups along the way. Through his mother, he is also eligible to represent Nigeria, an option that would remain open, as Canada won’t officially cap him given that the November matches are friendlies.

Why is Owen Goodman not eligible for the #CanMNT? 🇨🇦

Jesse Marsch explains 👇 pic.twitter.com/0oC6MmX7Ss
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 26, 2025

“I grew up in Canada, I was born in England, I’ve spent a lot of my life in Canada and England,” Goodman told Goalkeeper.com in March. “I’ve played for England at the youth level, but looking at it now, I feel like my dream is to play for Canada. I’ve never really said that to many people, but I’m just waiting on a call-up from Canada.”

At 6’4”, he is taller than both Dayne St. Clair and Maxime Crépeau, Canada’s other goalkeeping options. He has been a regular starter at the club level through the last three seasons with Colchester United, AFC Wimbledon and Huddersfield Town.

So far this season, he has played eight games, conceding six goals in all competitions, while bringing his career total matches to 102, an incredible mark for any young goalkeeper to have. Throughout that, he also earned League Two Team of the Season honors in 2024-25, after keeping 21 clean sheets in all competitions with Wimbledon, which earned him a move to League One Huddersfield.

Goodman won’t be a difference maker in the battle between recently-tipped MLS Goalkeeper of the Year St. Clair and Crépeau just yet. Still, he is in a prime position to earn a spot on the World Cup roster and potentially be Canada’s goalkeeper of the future.

Alfie Jones and the Center Back Shuffle

Alfie Jones Canada — Alfie Jones comes in as instant depth and a potential starter for the Canadian men's national team. | George Wood/Getty Images

While Goodman represents a future potential elite player, Alfie Jones comes into the Canadian team hoping to earn an instant spot. At 28 and as a key player in the English Championship with Middlesbrough, he will compete for a starting role in a position where Marsch is still seeking depth.

When fully healthy, Canada’s center back pairing is likely OGC Nice’s Moïse Bombito and Rangers FC’s Derek Cornelius. However, Bombito has been unable to be in camp due to injury since March, and Cornelius has lined up alongside 20-year-old FCV Dender defender Luc De Fougerolles.

This window, De Fougerolles is not on the squad, and Jones—a 6’3” central defender who emphasizes a physical game—will get his chance alongside Cornelius. He comes into the camp having played nearly every minute for Middlesbrough this season, before picking up a red card in a recent 1–1 draw against Leicester City.

Eligible through a Canadian grandparent on his mother’s side, Marsch hopes his aggressive style and ability to play slowly out of the back can offer a different aspect to a Canadian squad that is primarily based on speed and getting into attacks.

Without De Fougerolles and Bombito in camp, it will be challenging to compare directly. Still, the possibility of Canada’s top four center backs being Bombito, Cornelius, De Fougerolles, and Jones is an enticing proposition for a position of weakness.

The Impact of Form

Theo Bair has been in exceptional form in the Swiss first division. | Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty Images

The dual nationals headline the roster, but the impact of form and club performance is also critical, especially with midfielder Junior Hoilett and striker Theo Bair returning to the team after missing the October matches.

Hoilett, 35, has impressed with his consistency in the Scottish Premier League with Hibernian this season, racking up two goals and an assist through 516 minutes. With his experience and set-piece delivery, he can continue to play a depth role for Canada as well.

His inclusion comes over Nashville SC’s Jacob Shaffelburg, who is currently in the thick of MLS Cup playoffs and recently welcomed a second child. Meanwhile, it also provides depth out wide, where Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Ali Ahmed, a first-choice player for Marsch, may not be as available due to the playoffs as well.

Marsch also made it clear that form matters, given his call to Bair, who has scored seven goals in nine games since leaving Auxerre in France’s Ligue 1 to go on loan to Lausanne-Sport in the Swiss top division.

Neither are locks for a World Cup squad at this point, but it shows that the Canadian team is still in rewarding form.