Edmonton soccer friendly a chance for Team Canada to find its groove ahead of World Cup

Tens of thousands of fans will pack into Commonwealth Stadium on Monday to watch Team Canada duke it out against Uzbekistan in a friendly soccer game.

The game, part of the Canadian men’s national team’s "Send-Off Series," comes before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to see the first-ever men’s tournament matches played on Canadian soil in Vancouver and Toronto.

Despite Environment Canada forecasting 10 to 20 millimeters of rain to fall on Monday, national team coach Jesse Marsch said the team is ready to play — and pivot — even if “the pitch is a little bit soggy.”

“We'll be ready to adjust to the elements,” Marsch told reporters at a news conference on Sunday. “We're excited to be here in Edmonton. We know there'll be a big crowd.”

This isn’t the first time the Canadian men would have to play in inclement weather. 

Just over four years ago, the team qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Commonwealth Stadium after winning against Mexico, while in the snow, allowing fans to dub the game, “Iceteca.”

Marsch said those memories are a big reason the team is back in Edmonton.

“Our captain, our best player’s from here. … So I ask that everybody just comes out and loves this team,” he said.

“We're ready to put on a performance.”

Monday’s exhibition game is a chance for the Canadian team to find its groove, even without the help of hometown hero and captain Alphonso Davies, Marsch said.

Davies will be missing from the pitch because of a hamstring injury.

“At a moment like this — even if they're only playing 45 minutes and it's friendly — that each guy has to be at his maximum and be ready,” he said. “Those are the best things to do to set us up for success.”

Davies, who is on the team’s roster for the World Cup