Owen Goodman on the front line as Canadian men open new cycle after historic 2026 World Cup

It seems like yesterday and forever ago when Owen Goodman, Canada’s 22-year-old goalkeeper of the future, sat beside the pool at the team’s Vancouver hotel, in that still-hopeful space between World Cup group stage games in June, and reflected on the experience of his young lifetime.

His education had been a physical one. As the national team’s third-string keeper, he was the first in line for shooting drills and set-piece development, the soccer equivalent of cannon fodder. Even then, he stood out with his shot stopping. At one training session in Toronto, he was spectacular enough for a dozen heads to turn toward him at once.

“I’m young, and I want to get better,” Goodman said. “I need to take every opportunity to do heavy lifting, to improve myself. It’s maybe the hardest I’ve ever worked.”

It was also an emotional schooling, his time with the team a kind of immersion therapy, an entry-level stress test. He was never going to start ahead of Maxime Crépeau, the 32-year-old veteran who played every minute of Canada’s five historic games. He could better imagine playing, though, after he sang the anthem beside those who did.

The 2026 World Cup: Terrific and toxic

“You’re walking out onto the pitch, and the whole world is watching,” Goodman said. “It’s just crazy. It feels like the start of a war.”

Now, the day after the biggest men’s World Cup in history reached its colourful, controversial conclusion, a new campaign for Canada begins.

When Jesse Marsch was hired as head coach in May 2024, he had two years to build and prepare a team that could compete against the world’s best. He began recruiting pure athletes and dual nationals, including the towering Goodman. He ran them through training sessions that left them