Canada delivered a dominant performance on home soil Thursday, defeating Qatar 6-0 at a sold-out BC Place Stadium to secure the country’s first-ever FIFA World Cup victory.
Forward Jonathan David led the charge with a hat trick, ending a four-match World Cup scoring drought and helping Canada move into a tie for first place in Group B alongside Switzerland. The emphatic win significantly boosted Canada’s chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the expanded 48-team tournament.
David opened his account in the 29th minute before adding a second goal in first-half stoppage time. He completed his hat trick deep into added time at the end of the match. Cyle Larin also continued his strong tournament form, scoring Canada’s opening goal in the 16th minute. Nathan Saliba and Jacob Shaffelburg added second-half goals to complete the rout.
The Canadians controlled the match from start to finish, outshooting Qatar 30-2. Goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was rarely tested and earned a clean sheet without facing a single shot on target.
The victory, however, came at a cost. Midfielder Ismaël Koné was forced off the field on a stretcher after suffering a left-leg injury in the 51st minute. The injury cast a shadow over what was otherwise a landmark evening for Canadian soccer.
Qatar’s problems worsened as the team finished with nine players. Defender Homen Ahmed was sent off in the first half, while midfielder Assim Madibo received a red card following the challenge that injured Koné.
More than 52,000 fans packed BC Place for Canada’s first World Cup match in Vancouver, creating a festive atmosphere before kickoff and throughout the contest. Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Columbia Premier David Eby and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim were among those in attendance.
Canada seized control early when Larin converted a rebound to open the scoring. David doubled the lead with a curling strike from outside the box before adding another just before halftime. Saliba made it 4-0 shortly after the break, while Shaffelburg’s deflected effort and David’s late third goal capped a memorable night.
Earlier in the day, Switzerland defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, leaving both Canada and Switzerland atop Group B with four points. Bosnia and Qatar each sit on one point heading into the next round of matches.
Canada will face Switzerland on Wednesday at BC Place in a crucial
