Why is Alphonso Davies not playing today for Canada against South Africa in the World Cup?
Canada star remains a major talking point ahead of the knockout clash, with Alphonso Davies’ fitness still under close watch.
Canada are into the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup despite not having star man Alphonso Davies available for their opening two games. However, despite the fact that the Bayern Munich left back was expected to play some part in Wednesday’s final group match against Switzerland, he has not made the cut against South Africa.
Davies has been dealing with a hamstring injury since May, which caused him to miss Canada’s opening World Cup draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was an unused substitute in the 6-0 win over Qatar last Thursday, and head coach Jesse Marsch is now ready to give him some playing time, but stopped short of confirming whether Davies would start against Switzerland.
“The good news is he’s looking great,” Marsch said before Wednesday’s final group game. “He’s in training, he looks great, he looks fit, he looks ready to go, excited. So, let’s see how things go, but I expect him to play.”
In the end, he did not play a single minute.
Canada’s left-back options in Davies’ absence
In Davies’ absence, Richie Laryea has started at left back in both of Canada’s games so far, with Liam Millar and then Ali Ahmed ahead of him.
Due to various fitness issues, Davies has not played for Canada since March 2025.
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