Canada's Alphonso Davies expected to make 2026 World Cup debut vs. Switzerland

Canada coach Jesse Marsch said he does not expect Alphonso Davies to start against Switzerland on Wednesday, but he does expect the star left back to play in their final Group B match.

It would mark the 2026 World Cup debut for Davies, who has not played since sustaining a left hamstring injury while playing for Bayern Munich in the second leg of a Champions League semifinal on May 6. Bayern and Canada worked on a recovery plan for Davies, who was included on the World Cup roster and has been striving to get fit.

Davies teased during the pre-World Cup training camp that he might be ready in time for the team's June 12 opener, but it appears Wednesday is the time he finally will make his tournament debut.

"We will evaluate what we need of him in the game," Marsch told reporters on Tuesday. "I would like to get him into the match, for sure. And I think that he can have a big impact, both on us physically and football-wise, but also mentally, psychologically, to have our captain back, our best player back in the team. I think this is a big factor."

Davies has scored 15 goals in 58 career caps with Canada, including the country's first-ever goal at a World Cup at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. He is a two-time CONCACAF Player of the Year (2021, 2022).

However, he has not played for Canada since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during the Nations League third-place game in March 2025. He has dealt with multiple injuries since.

Davies' return would provide a boost for a Canada team that lost midfielder Ismael Kone to a fractured leg against Qatar on June 18 that will sideline him for the remainder of the World Cup.

"It's so much more than just what (Davies) brings on the pitch -- it's what he represents to us," Marsch said. "So, the good news is he's looking great, 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."

Should Canada win or tie with the Swiss, they would move on to the round of 32. They are currently ahead of Switzerland with a plus-6 goal differential, compared to plus-3 for their counterparts.

Canada center back Alfie Jones likely will miss his third consecutive game as he recovers from an ankle injury.

--Field Level Media