Canada coach Jesse Marsch is never one to shy away from a mind game, and he was at it once more after his side fell 2-1 to Switzerland on Wednesday, finishing second in Group B of the 2026 World Cup.
Canadian captain Alphonso Davies arrived at the tournament nursing a hamstring injury sustained during Bayern Munich's narrow Champions League semifinal defeat to PSG. He was not fit enough to feature on the bench in Canada's opening World Cup fixture, but suited up for the team's 6-0 demolition of Qatar on match day two.
On Wednesday, he was again named among the substitutes. Speaking after the final whistle, Marsch disclosed that Davies was never actually fit enough to take the field. "He was never going to play today. I wanted Switzerland to have to think about him," he said.
• England face two major injury concerns ahead of crucial group stage finale
Canadian captain Alphonso Davies arrived at the tournament nursing a hamstring injury sustained during Bayern Munich's narrow Champions League semifinal defeat to PSG. He was not fit enough to feature on the bench in Canada's opening World Cup fixture, but suited up for the team's 6-0 demolition of Qatar on match day two.
On Wednesday, he was again named among the substitutes. Speaking after the final whistle, Marsch disclosed that Davies was never actually fit enough to take the field. "He was never going to play today. I wanted Switzerland to have to think about him," he said.
• England face two major injury concerns ahead of crucial group stage finale
4 months ago
