Canada men’s national team manager Jesse Marsch was on his way to laying out his approach to crafting his 2026 World Cup roster, but given his recent past and connection to the United States, there’s still clear intrigue into his thoughts about the intersection of the World Cup and the White House. And so he addressed U.S. President Donald Trump’s increasing connection with next summer’s tournament on Thursday ahead of Canada’s friendly against Romania in Bucharest.
“I know that there’s been a good connection with FIFA and with the White House,” the Wisconsin-born manager said during a press conference. “And in the end, with all of the politics that have been floating around in the world, more than anything, we’re so excited about the opportunity to play the World Cup at home.”
On August 22, Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino threw the soccer world a curveball by announcing the draw for the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, would take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on December 5. The Athletic reported that the draw was long anticipated to be held in Las Vegas before Trump stepped in and changed course.
“It will be at the Kennedy Center. It’s called the Kennedy Center,” Marsch said, a clear nod to Trump’s recent suggestion the building could be renamed the “Trump Kennedy Center.”
Marsch previously garnered attention for demanding Trump back off the rhetoric about Canada becoming the U.S.’s 51st state while stating he was “ashamed” of the American president’s comments. On Thursday, amid continued political tension, Marsch lightheartedly called back his remarks.
“People know the comments I made, and so when they see me, they are aware that I’m that guy. But no, I haven’t felt like I’m going to be deported,” Marsch quipped.
Marsch may not have wanted to dive too much deeper into American politics, but as it relates to his role, he operates in clear contrast to his American counterpart.
Canada’s next six matches over September, October and November international windows are all friendlies, and Marsch said his coaching staff is treating them as one window. That would suggest that while his U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino is still juggling and experimenting with his player pool ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Marsch’s group for the tournament might largely be set.
“Our group has, in terms of selection for the overall pool, become clearer and clearer and stabilized,” Marsch said. “That’s not to say that there aren’t spots up for competition, but I think that in a lot of positions when we know our players are healthy, we’re pretty clear on what each guy can deliver and how he fits in. And I think that will be important in developing ourselves toward next summer.”
This could mean that, beginning with Canada’s friendly against Romania, the battles among the player pool are not necessarily for World Cup roster spots but starting lineup spots. Marsch believes stability over the next nine months could lead to results at the World Cup, where Canada’s men are still seeking their first point on the grand stage in program history (two three-loss showings in 1986 and 2022).
Canada’s next five opponents are all currently ranked inside FIFA’s top 50: Romania, Wales, Australia, Colombia and Ecuador. Canada has one more friendly to announce for the November window, and it’s believed Canada will face a high-ranked South American opponent.
Through those six matches, little squad rotation is expected. Marsch is aiming to implement numerous elements to his squad in that time, including tactical flexibility and increased savviness and communication. The hurdle Marsch currently faces is injuries: Canadian mainstays Alphonso Davies, Moïse Bombito, Alistair Johnston and Liam Millar are all either out or recovering. Their spots on the World Cup team are not in jeopardy, though.
Otherwise, Marsch’s desire for stability has a clear underlying message: If you’re a healthy Canadian player and not in the squad right now, the possibility of your cracking the World Cup team is low.
“I’m personally very excited about the potential of the squad that we will put together,” Marsch said. ‘And we’re very hopeful that we can have, especially with a lot of transfers over the summer, a lot players that settle into their club situations, that can have really good form and fitness, stay healthy, and push themselves at the highest level to be ready.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. remains a work in progress. Longtime mainstays such as Weston McKennie were left out of the September squad, and seven of the 24 players in camp have five or fewer caps – including two uncapped goalkeepers – as Pochettino continues to tinker.
“We really believe that is the right decision,” Pochettino said. “To bring the right balance to the squad.”
One side feels like it is running short on time to form its roster, while the other wants key roster decisions to be made well in advance.
The latter, Canada, is coming off an abject Gold Cup failure that culminated with a quarterfinal defeat to Guatemala. To get over that failure, Marsch’s plan is well-defined: there will be no surprises. It’s up to the group as assembled – with the obvious caveat of injured stars – to get back to winning ways.
Marsch said both of his goalkeepers vying for the World Cup starting spot, Maxime Crépeau and Dayne St. Clair, will start a match this window. But the decision on who Canada’s starter at the World Cup will come soon afterwards, as drawing out the process could cause instability.
“When the decision gets made – which we don’t want to wait until right before the World Cup – it will be probably one of my most difficult and important decisions for the team,” Marsch said.
Whether it will be Marsch or Pochettino’s approach that leads to better results at the World Cup remains to be seen. But at the very least, Marsch is exuding calm for Canada’s fanbase. He has spent this window admitting publicly he made personnel-related mistakes at the Gold Cup. And now, he’s made it clear: the time for mistakes ahead of the World Cup is done, and a lack of real changes to the team is a step towards that.
(Top photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)