Canada is set to begin its quest for a FIFA World Cup title on Friday.
The nation will kick off the expanded 48-team tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto, then shift to Vancouver for group-stage matches against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
What happens afterward depends on where Canada finishes in the Group B standings.
Here’s a look at the paths the nation could take through the tournament:
First place
Finishing atop Group B would earn Canada home-soil advantage heading into the knockout rounds.
If the co-host country places first, they’ll face a third-place team from Group E, F, G, I or J in a round-of-32 game in Vancouver on July 2.
A win there would see the squad advance to a round-of-16 matchup in Vancouver on July 7.
Earning yet another victory in Vancouver would vault Canada into a quarterfinal game in Kansas City on July 11, where the prize up for grabs would be a spot in the July 15 semifinal in Atlanta.
The World Cup final will be held in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19.
Second place
If Canada finishes second in Group B, they’ll face the second-place team from Group A in Los Angeles on June 28. Group A consists of Mexico, South Africa, South Korea and Czechia.
Winning the round-of-32 game in L.A. would see the team advance to a round-of-16 game in Houston on July 4, and a victory there would send Canada to a quarterfinal in Boston on July 9.
Getting a win in Boston would send Canada to a semifinal in Dallas on July 14.
The World Cup final will still be held in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19.
Third place
For the first time, this year’s World Cup will see the top eight third-place teams advance to the knockout round.
If Canada earns one of those spots, the path to the World Cup final is less direct.
It would start with the country facing either the top team in Group E in a round-of-32 bout in Boston on June 29 or heading to San Francisco to take on the top team in Group D on July 1.
A win in Boston would send the squad to a round-of-16 matchup in Philadelphia on July 4, while a victory in San Francisco would see the team head to Seattle for a tilt on July 6.
A Philadelphia victory would come with a quarterfinal spot in Boston on July 9, but a Seattle win would result in a trip to L.A. for a bout on July 10.
Coming out on top in either quarterfinal would earn a spot in the Dallas semifinal on July 14, where the ultimate prize would be a berth in the final in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2026.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
