Canada become first nation in World Cup history to achieve bizarre feat

25 Jun 2026 13:01 BST | 4 min read

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

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Canada will become the first host nation in World Cup history to play a match outside of their country when they take to the field for their round of 32 tie on Sunday.

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Jesse Marsch’s side qualified for the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time ever after a second-place finish in Group B, but they have lost crucial home advantage after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland on Wednesday.

Goals from Ruben Vargas and Johan Manzambi secured a narrow win for Murat Yakin’s men, with Promise David’s excellent strike in the 76th minute proving to only be a consolidation. The result means Switzerland have topped the group, with Canada in second ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina in third and Qatar in fourth.

Canada only needed a draw to secure top spot in Group B, however they were unable to find a late equaliser and they will therefore not play in their home country again at the tournament.

Had Canada finished top of Group B, they would’ve remained in Vancouver for their round of 32 clash, while they also would’ve stayed in the city had they subsequently secured safe passage to the last-16.

However, Switzerland will instead play in Vancouver after finishing first in Group B, with Canada instead set for a round of 32 clash versus Group A runners-up South Africa in Los Angeles on Sunday.

As a result, Canada will become the first World Cup host nation to play a match outside of their country in the entire history of the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup is the second to feature more than one host country, but South Korea played all of their matches at home in 2002, including a 1-0 semi-final defeat to Germany, while Japan also only played on home turf.

Mexico will join Canada in becoming a host nation to play a World Cup match away from home if they progress to the quarter-finals.

Canada’s Promise David scored his first World Cup goal just 70 seconds after coming off the bench against Switzerland! 💥

Look at that assist 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/1s4wIlWcdu
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 24, 2026

What has Jesse Marsch said?

Speaking after his side’s 2-1 loss to Switzerland on Wednesday, Canada boss Marsch said: “I've been through World Cups and had big moments in my career and when you get one big win [6-0 versus Qatar], building on that is so important.

“So I'm disappointed we weren't able to get a win or draw to keep us here [in Vancouver].

“But I am grateful to the country and the stadium for the energy today. It's been awesome and that's the disappointment because we just want to continue the energy we have had here in Canada.

“But we are going to L.A. and it's probably going to be an away crowd, so it will be tougher, but we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there. We're exactly where we want to be. We are in the knockout stage now, so let's go for it.”

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