Canada vs Iceland – News and Probable Lineups

In their first of three matches scheduled at BMO Field this year, Canadá will take on Islândia in a friendly encounter on Saturday in Toronto.

The prospective World Cup co-hosts secured a 1-0 victory against Guatemala in their opening 2026 match, while their Scandinavian rivals suffered a 4-0 defeat to México last month.

Match overview

As we approach the final series of matches before the 2026 finals, many Canadians are eager to impress head coach Jesse Marsch prior to the announcement of the summer squad.

Heading into this weekend, they are enjoying an unbeaten streak of four matches, having not conceded a single goal during this period.

BMO Field has proven to be a favorable venue for the men’s team recently, with the Canucks remaining undefeated in their last five outings there.

Conversely, they are yet to secure a win in their last two internationals hosted on Canadian soil, failing to score in both encounters.

A victory on Saturday would mark the first instance of starting a calendar year with consecutive wins since 2023.

Les Rouges have claimed victory in their last three contests against European teams, shutting out País de Gales in a friendly 1-0 last September.

With the World Cup currently out of reach, Islândia aims to gain some momentum leading into the UEFA Nations League this autumn.

Arnar Gunnlaugsson’s side has faced defeat in their last two matches by a collective scoreline of 6-0, winning only one of their last six contests (2-0 against Azerbaijão).

This Saturday, they risk losing their first two fixtures in a calendar year for two consecutive years, after dropping back-to-back Nations League matches against Kosovo to kick off 2025.

In this decade, they’ve only suffered one defeat when scoring multiple goals, which was a 5-3 loss to Ucrânia in October, but they haven’t won two of their last three matches when achieving this.

They have not managed to defeat a CONCACAF opponent on North American soil since a 2-0 victory over Honduras in Fort Lauderdale in 2024.

Nevertheless, this team has an undefeated record against Canadá, winning their last encounter 2-0 in 2020.

Team News

Canadian captain Alphonso Davies is sidelined as he recovers from a torn ACL, while Alistair Johnston recovers from hamstring surgery, Moise Bombito is returning from a fractured tibia, Stephen Eustaquio is nursing a knock, and Jacob Shaffelburg is out due to a groin strain.

Jonathan Osorio has the opportunity to surpass Cyle Larin for third place in all-time caps, while Jonathan David will aim to increase his record goal tally, currently standing at 37 for the national team.

One player from Islândia named in this squad has links to Canadá; Dagur Dan Thorhallsson currently plays for CF Montreal, while Hakon Haraldsson previously played alongside Juventus striker Jonathan David at Lille.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Islândia’s all-time leading goalscorer, is on the hunt for his first senior goal since scoring twice against Liechtenstein in October 2023.

Canadá probable starting XI:

Crepeau; Waterman, de Fougerolles, Cornelius, Laryea; Sigur, Choiniere; Buchanan, J. David, Ahmed; Larin

Iceland probable starting XI:

Olafsson; Thorhallsson, Ingason, Magnusson, Tomasson; Haraldsson, Johannesson, Ellertsson; G. Sigurdsson, Willumsswon, Okarsson

Despite the absence of several key players, the depth and quality of the Canadian side may be among the best it has ever been, and we believe someone will deliver a moment of brilliance for them this weekend.