Canada in Group F at 2022 World Cup: rivals, matches, schedule

Canada was the first country from CONCACAF to secure a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup and they have returned to the tournament for the first time since 1986. Unfortunately, it was not a pretty campaign for Le Rouge, as they lost all three group stage matches and failed to find the back of the net.

After an impressive run in the qualifiers, Canada can be one of the biggest surprises in the upcoming FIFA World Cup even if they are able to qualify to the round of 16. They discovered their faith on Friday and were drawn in Group F alongside Belgium, Morocco and Croatia.

A tough path for Canada

The Canadian men’s national team will play come up against Belgium first on 23 November. Four days later they will play against Croatia and conclude the group stage on 1 December against Morocco. Canada is ready to go toe-to-toe with the biggest countries in the world and their coach, John Herdman, seemed pleased after the draw in Doha, Qatar.

"Brilliant," Herdman said of the group. "We wanted those types of games. You're going to a World Cup. There's no easy matches. And I think any team can beat any team on a given day. That's just tournament football."

"To have our team pulled out and just to see that this is real. Canada's on the big stage now," he said. "We're not just heading to Qatar. We're ready to play in Qatar, where we know the teams we've got. We've got a wonderful opportunity ahead of us.

"Everything that came out of that draw was just an opportunity for this county. The players [personally and professionally] the team collectively and as a country. What an opportunity."

What happens if Canada qualifies for the round of 16?

The road for the Canadian men’s national team will be complicated if they make it out alive from the group stages. If the CONCACAF side do make it through, they could play against the top two teams in Group E, meaning that it could easily be against Spain or Germany in the round of 16.