Canada was already a soccer nation: Its historic World Cup run proved it

Canada’s run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup made history, making a first-ever trip to the round of 16, the country’s best-ever men’s World Cup result. The Canadian men’s team, playing in just its third World Cup after 1986 and 2022, won its first-ever men’s World Cup match on June 18, defeating Qatar 6-0 during the group stage. Canada then beat South Africa 1-0 in the Round of 32 before its run ended July 4 with a 3-0 loss to Morocco. However, Canada’s run may have been more about what happened off…