Will Alphonso Davies play against Qatar? Canada keeps star's status under wraps

Anticipation is building ahead of Canada’s first World Cup match in Vancouver—but the team is being tight-lipped about the status of their superstar captain.

Questions continue to linger about Alphonso Davies’ status as Canada prepares for its next World Cup matchup.

The team’s 25-year-old captain has been working his way back from a hamstring injury and was not available for the co-host country’s first game of the tournament.

He’s been in return-to-play protocols since joining the national squad in Edmonton at the end of May, but the team declined to provide an update on his injury status on Tuesday.

Davies was on the field with his teammates during warm-ups ahead of a training session in Vancouver, running and passing the ball. The rest of the session was closed to the media.

His teammates provided few clues on his status for Thursday’s game against Qatar in Vancouver.

“I don’t know if he can play. I mean, he hasn’t been training with us,” vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio said after Tuesday’s session. “But what I can say, what he can bring to the team, he can bring his leadership, which is very important for us.”

The star Bayern Munich left back has not played since early May, when he was hurt while playing in a Champions League semifinal.

Luc de Fougerolles, a 20-year-old English-born defender, took Davies’ spot in the lineup for Canada’s tournament opener, a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto last Friday.

Born in a refugee camp in Ghana, Davies was five when his family immigrated to Canada.

He grew up in Edmonton and joined the Vancouver Whitecaps’ academy at 14 before going pro with the Major League Soccer club.

The ‘Caps transferred the speedy teen to Bayern in 2018 and he continued to blossom into an elite talent. Davies has played 249 matches with the German soccer giant, amassing 15 goals and 37 assists across the stretch.

“We all know what Phonzie brings in terms of his experience, the pace, just his ability to stretch the game,” said Canadian defender Alistair Johnston.

“And obviously he brings another level of star power as well to the team and it’s a chess piece that a lot of teams have to divert a lot of attention to dealing with him, because he can honestly dominate a game single-handedly down that one flank.”

While he hasn’t played for Canada since March 2025, Davies has been a critical piece of the program in recent years, logging 15 goals and 17 assists over 58 appearances.

His biggest tally came at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar where he scored Canada’s first-ever goal in the men’s tournament.

“Phonzie is so important. He’s the best player in our region,” said Canadian defender Richie Laryea. “And yeah, we’re excited that he’s here, we’re excited that he’s getting a lot better and progressing really well. So, if you can add him onto the pitch, that’s an X factor that any team in the world’s going to take.”

Head coach Jesse Marsch is scheduled to speak to the media on Wednesday and could provide clarity on whether Davies will play against Qatar.

Last week, Marsch said an MRI had shown positive signs that his standout player was progressing.

Adding Davies to the roster for would be a “massive boost,” Johnston said, but the team needs to prioritize the athlete’s health and fitness above all else.

“I know what it’s like coming back from a hamstring (injury). It’s one of those ones you can’t take shortcuts,” said Johnston, who recently returned from an extended layoff following hamstring surgery.

“So I think that we’re gonna try and make the best medical decision. But I know at the same time he’s desperate to play for us.”

Surprise, surprise

Canada’s players know there have been some surprising results early in this summer’s World Cup, with higher-ranked teams falling to or drawing lower-ranked opponents.

“That’s because maybe teams don’t go in the game, and they’re a little bit naive, or they think they’re going to win,” Eustaquio said.

The Canadians — who were slotted at No. 30 in the last official FIFA rankings — aren’t about to make that mistake when they take on No. 56 Qatar, he added.

“That’s not our case,” Eustaquio said. “Our case is that we obviously want to start (Thursday’s) game the best way possible, something that we couldn’t do against Bosnia. At the same time we know that we have the weapons to win, but it’s going to be a hard game like all of them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press