Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the world stage. International 'Caps keeps you updated with the latest on players' experiences with their countries ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.
VANCOUVER, BC – Two weeks later and with group stage play finalized, three Vancouver Whitecaps FC players find themselves in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Both Canada and the United States booked their spot in the next round by topping their respective groups. Read along as we look back at the group stage and preview the rest of the tournament as well as what it could mean for the remaining 'Caps on international duty.
Canada Gold Cup Group Stage Results
- Canada 6-0 Honduras
Tuesday, June 17
BC Place, Vancouver, BC - Curaçao 1-1 Canada
Saturday, June 21
Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas - Canada 2-0 El Salvador
Tuesday, June 24
Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas
Canada ran away as Group B winners, totalling seven points (2W-0L-1D) and posting a tournament-best plus eight goal differential, thanks to a rampant 6-0 victory in their group stage opener against Honduras at BC Place. The team then followed up with a draw against Curaçao and a win over El Salvador in what were two very classic Concacaf affairs. Nonetheless, Canada did the job and will now look ahead to a quarterfinal matchup against Guatemala on Sunday, June 29 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with kickoff at 1 p.m. PT.
With Sam Adekugbe having to pull out from the tournament due to injury, Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson were the 'Caps who featured for Canada in the group stage.
Ahmed started the rout over Honduras in what was one of his best matches for the national team to date. The dynamic winger recorded an assist on Promise David's goal, as well as an additional chance created, three shots, two successful dribbles, seven passes into the final third, five successful tackles won, six recoveries, and a whopping 13 successful duels won.
Unfortunately, in the following match against Curaçao, he came on as a substitute but was then taken off due to the injury. The club confirmed this week Ahmed will be out for six to eight weeks with an ankle sprain, bringing an end to his Gold Cup campaign.
Meanwhile, Nelson started the match against Curaçao, playing 56 minutes and a key role in Canada's opening goal of the match by whipping in the initial cross from a set piece that eventually found it's way to midfielder Nathan Saliba for the finish.
Nelson will now hope to help the national team achieve it's goal of winning the tournament, starting this Sunday against Guatemala.
United States Gold Cup Group Stage Results
- United States 5-0 Trinidad and Tobago
Sunday, June 15
PayPal Park, San Jose, California - Saudi Arabia 0-1 United States
Thursday, June 19
Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas - United States 2-1 Haiti
Sunday, June 22
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
The United States went perfect in Group D, with wins over Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia, and Haiti. They'll now face Costa Rica on Sunday, June 29 in the quarterfinals, with the match also set to take place U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT.
On the 'Caps front, Sebastian Berhalter starred for the stars and stripes as Mauricio Pochettino named the midfielder to his starting lineup in the opening two group stage matches. Berhalter was rested against Haiti, presumably to prevent him from getting a suspension in the quarterfinals via yellow card accumulation. His main contribution to the team came in the match against Saudi Arabia, as he grabbed his first international assist on Chris Richards' game-winning goal.
Brian White was an unused substitute in the opening two matches, but came off the bench for an eight-minute cameo in the win over Haiti.
If Canada and the United States are victorious in the quarterfinals, they'll meet in the semifinals to battle it out for a spot in the final, meaning if either are eliminated in that round, the 'Caps could have a body or two back amongst the group as MLS play continues to heat up.
Check back in following the tournament for another edition of 'International 'Caps' as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup.
