VANCOUVER, BC – As you’ve surely heard by now, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. have confirmed their intention to submit a joint bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. There’s still a long, long way to go before this becomes a reality, but it’s still an exciting prospect for Canadian fans and players alike. With that in mind, we thought we’d have some fun.
There are a number of players within the Vancouver Whitecaps FC organization that could potentially suit up for Canada come 2026 – not only on the first team, but also on WFC2 and in the Residency program. We are, after all, talking about nine years from now.
There’s no shortage of Canadian talent coming through the pipeline.
Today, for example, four players from the club were called up to Canada’s squad that will be hoping to qualify for the upcoming U-17 FIFA World Cup. And those players will be in the prime of their careers come 2026. So you’ll certainly want to keep an eye on them.
Here are five other ‘Caps to watch with an eye towards 2026.
Adekugbe, who is currently on loan with English Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion FC, is an attacking-minded fullback who has three appearances with the Canadian senior men’s national team. He will be 31 come 2026, which could make him one of the team’s leaders on the back line.
Marco Bustos (attacking midfielder)
This Winnipeg, Manitoba native will be 30 years old when the 2026 World Cup rolls around. He’s been a regular call-up in most of Canada’s recent camps, earning a total of six caps to date, and has also represented the country at a U-17 FIFA World Cup.
Chung has yet to represent the Canadian senior men’s national team, but he’s been a fixture at the youth level. In 2015, he was the Canadian U-17 Player of the Year and last year he scored a goal for Canada’s U-20s in an upset 2-1 win over Marcus Rashford and the England U-20s. A native of Port Coquitlam, B.C., Chung is an attacking-minded fullback who currently plays for WFC2 and will be 27 years old during the 2026 World Cup.
Davies certainly needs no introduction at this point. The Edmonton resident is one of the brightest young talents in the country – and in all of MLS. And at 25 years old, he will be right in his prime come the summer of 2026. Davies, who is currently in the process of obtaining his Canadian citizenship, was named the Canadian U-17 Player of the Year in 2016.
Teibert will be 33 years old come the 2026 World Cup, but he’s always one of the fittest players so something tells me he’ll still have some gas left in the tank for a World Cup on home soil. The Niagara Falls, Ontario native is a two-time Canadian U-17 Player of the Year who has 17 appearances with the Canadian senior men’s national team.
