Canada is days away from learning who it will face in the tournament opener on home soil. But first, there’s work to do against Tunisia.
The men’s national soccer team takes the pitch Tuesday night at BMO Field in Toronto. It’s the second of two March friendlies, and head coach Jesse Marsch is using every minute to fine-tune his roster before the World Cup begins in June.
Tani Oluwaseyi, the 25-year-old striker from Mississauga, is expected to start. He’s been building chemistry with star forward Jonathan David, and he wants to prove he belongs in that top spot when the stakes get real.
“Everything we do now is in preparation for the World Cup,” Oluwaseyi said ahead of the match. He knows Tunisia, ranked 44th by FIFA, will test Canada in ways that mirror what’s coming this summer.
The visitors are headed to the tournament in Group F. They move the ball well and play with physicality, exactly the kind of challenge Canada needs right now.
But while the team focuses on Tunisia, much of the country will be watching Europe. Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina face off in a playoff Tuesday afternoon to determine who fills the final spot in Group B—Canada’s group.
The winner meets Canada on June 12 in Toronto. It’s the opening match for both sides and the beginning of something historic for a country co-hosting its first World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico.
Jesse Marsch knows what’s at stake, and he knows the complicated loyalties many Canadian fans carry. If Italy advances, BMO Field could be split between red and blue.
He’s not having it.
“I want to start instituting what I think I want to call a ‘red out,'” Marsch said Monday with a grin. “I want to see our fans all in red in the whole stadium.”
He added, half-joking, that if Italy does come through, fans should be “ripping all those blue jerseys and burning them.”
Canada will play its opener in Toronto, then head west. Qatar awaits on June 18 in Vancouver, followed by Switzerland on June 24, both at B.C. Place Stadium.
“We need every stadium to be packed with red,” Marsch continued. The American-born coach has embraced his role in a soccer-mad nation that’s finally getting its moment on the global stage.
For now, the focus is on Tunisia and getting the lineup right. Oluwaseyi sat out Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Iceland, watching from the bench as Cyle Larin got the start.
This time, it’s his turn.
The six-foot-two forward, who was born in Nigeria before moving to Canada at age 10, has seven goals in 33 appearances this season for Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga. He’s worked hard to understand David’s movements and preferences on the pitch.
“We talk about how smart of a player Jonny is,” Oluwaseyi said. “I know the spots he wants to take up, I know what he wants to do when he turns with the ball.”
David, who plays for Juventus, scored twice from the penalty spot against Iceland after Canada gifted two early goals. His ability to press defensively and create offensively makes him indispensable, and Oluwaseyi sees his own role as making David’s job easier.
“It’s just a relationship that over the games we’ve played together, we’ve built,” he said. “It’s served us pretty well.”
Marsch kept most of his starting lineup under wraps Monday, but did confirm Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ralph Priso will earn his second cap for Canada. Priso is still learning the demands of the centre back position under Marsch’s system, but the coach likes what he’s seen in training.
Maxime Crépeau is expected to start in goal. Liam Millar will slot in on the right side of midfield after Tajon Buchanan was sent off with a red card on Saturday.
And Canada gets a boost in the middle with the return of IsmaĂ«l KonĂ© from suspension. The Sassuolo midfielder, who plays in Italy’s Serie A, brings unpredictability when the game tightens up.
“In hard moments in games, we know that we can trust in IsmaĂ«l to make something happen,” Oluwaseyi said.
That kind of trust will matter in June when the pressure multiplies. After Tuesday, Canada has just two more friendlies before the World Cup begins. Every touch, every set piece, every substitution is being studied.
Marsch knows the weight of the moment. This isn’t just about advancing past the group stage (though that’s the goal). It’s about what comes after—the legacy this team leaves for the next generation.
“This generation of players will inspire a new generation,” Marsch said. “We all know we’re at a point in the sport—in the country—that’s incredibly important.”
Canada is ranked 30th by FIFA, but rankings won’t matter much when the tournament kicks off. What will matter is whether the team can handle the occasion, whether the fans show up in red, and whether players like Oluwaseyi can deliver when it counts.
Tunisia offers a final dress rehearsal before the spotlight gets blinding. It’s a chance to settle nerves, test formations, and build the kind of confidence that carries teams through knockout rounds.
For Oluwaseyi, it’s also personal. He’s fighting for a starting role in a World Cup on home soil, something most players only dream about.
“We know how focused we need to be and exactly what we need to be lasered on,” Marsch said.
By the time the final whistle blows Tuesday night, Canada will know its June 12 opponent. The countdown to the opener will shrink to weeks, then days.
And when that first match arrives, the country will be watching—hopefully all dressed in red.
