Alphonso Davies benched for Canada's World Cup exit due to hamstring concerns
The Edmonton native felt discomfort in training two days before the Round of 16 match against Morocco and chose not to play rather than risk worsening the injury.
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Canada's men's soccer team was eliminated from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, losing 3-0 to Morocco in the Round of 16, without superstar Alphonso Davies playing a single minute.
The Edmonton native stayed on the bench for the entire match despite initial plans for him to draw in. Head coach Jesse Marsch revealed that Davies had been recovering from a hamstring injury on a solid trajectory until two days before the game. "He felt a little something, turned out it wasn't anything significant, but he didn't feel right, and we didn't want to stress it," Marsch told reporters after the loss.
Davies confirmed the decision in his own words: "In training, I felt a little bit of something, but me and Jesse had a conversation. He asked if I feel 100 per cent, I told him no, to be honest. We want players on the pitch that are 100 per cent to play the game and 100 per cent to give everything, and I felt like I wasn't there yet."
The 25-year-old, who plays left-back and serves as Canada's captain, has a history of hamstring injuries. "I don't want to be a burden on the team or on the pitch, not giving my all. Every time I play the game, I want to give my all," Davies said. He acknowledged the frustration of watching from the sideline in what would have been one of the biggest soccer matches in Canadian men's history.
