Starting on Saturday, Canada will begin play in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.
Here are a few things you should know as the tournament kicks off:
HOW TO WATCH
All of Canada’s matches will be broadcast live on TSN, as well as several additional tournament games.
Final score: Canada 1-4 Brazil
Final score: Canada 1-2 Angola
GROUP A
Canada are in Group A and will open the tournament against the hosts Brazil.
The home team is one of the tournament favourites. Former Brazil senior international Lucio told FIFA.com that “the expectation is huge”.
The other teams are Oceania champions New Zealand, playing in their ninth U-17 World Cup, as well as African third place side and debutants Angola.
Qualification to the Round of 16 will consist of the top two finishers in each group, as well as the best four of six third place teams.
WHO TO WATCH
Whitecaps FC fans will want to keep their eyes on the club’s six prospects from the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System playing for Canada: right back Deylen Vellios, centre backs Nathan Demian and Gianfranco Facchineri, midfielders Emiliano Brienza and Damiano Pecile, and winger Kam Habibullah.
The group have benefitted from international trips with the ‘Caps Development Squad this year. That has included a trip to South Korea where they played in front of more than 24,000 fans, and a series of matches in Mexico last month.
Another player familiar to the ‘Caps is United States goalkeeper Chituru Odunze, who was with the club since 2017 before transferring to Leicester City FC in August of this year.
TOURNAMENT HISTORY
This latest generation of Canadian prospects will be looking to make history for the country. This marks the seventh qualification to the U-17 World Cup, but Canada are still looking for their first tournament win and first advancement past the group stage.
The best results for Canada have come in the past two tournament appearances, with two draws each in 2011 and 2013.
FIFA U-17 World Cup record |
||||||||
Year |
Result |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
|
Did not qualify |
||||||||
Group stage |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
||
Group stage |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
||
Did not qualify |
||||||||
Group stage |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
18 |
||
Group stage |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
||
Did not qualify |
||||||||
Group stage |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
||
Group stage |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
||
Did not qualify |
||||||||
Qualified |
||||||||
Total |
Group stage |
18 |
0 |
4 |
14 |
8 |
53 |