No previous meetings between these teams.
-
1
Cyle Larin1
- 1Jonathan David3
- 2Tani Oluwaseyi2
- 3Cyle Larin2
- 4
Edmílson Junior2 - 5Karim Boudiaf1
- 6Richie Laryea1
- 7Derek Cornelius1
- 8Ismaël Koné1
- 9Issa Laye1
- 10Homam El Amin1
- 1Richie Laryea4
- 2Liam Millar2
- 3Ahmed Fathy2
- 4Luc De Fougerolles2
- 5Derek Cornelius2
- 6Pedro Miguel1
- 7Yusuf Abdurisag1
- 8Jassem Gaber1
- 9Maxime Crépeau1
- 10Akram Afif1
Group B is as finely poised as can be after Matchday One of the 2026 World Cup, but Canada have an opportunity to take charge as they face Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday night at 23:00 (BST). Our Canada vs Qatar predictions, best bets and team news are below.
Both opening games in the group finished level, leaving all four teams with a strong chance of reaching the next round. Canada were arguably unlucky to be held by Bosnia-Herzegovina, while Qatar snatched a point through a last-minute equaliser against Switzerland.
Best Bets & Predictions
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyle Larin over 1.5 shots on target | 6/4 @ Ladbrokes (40%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Cyle Larin was a surprise omission from Jesse Marsch’s starting line-up against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the 31 year old made a huge difference from the bench. Carrying his excellent form from his loan spell at Southampton into the World Cup, Larin managed two shots, one of which resulted in a goal in that draw. During his time in the Championship, Larin racked up 27 shots, of which 15 were on target, in only 949 minutes. He should return to the starting eleven after that impressive cameo against Bosnia-Herzegovina. |
| Under 2.5 goals | 4/5 @ Bet365 (55.6%) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Don’t expect a goalfest here. Both teams were involved in 1-1 draws in their opening games, while just one of Canada’s last nine matches have seen more than two goals scored – a 2-2 draw with Iceland back in March. It’s a similar story for Qatar – under 2.5 goals has landed in each of their last four outings. |
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
How both teams go into Canada vs Qatar
After the opening round, Group B looks the most open of the lot, with four well-matched teams all on one point — each having scored once and conceded once.
Canada will maybe be the team in the group happiest with their opening game performance. The Canucks were unlucky to go one down to Bosnia-Herzegovina but wrestled a point from the game thanks to a goal from substitute Cyle Larin.
Jesse Marsch will look to harness the home advantage in Vancouver on Thursday. After earning their first-ever World Cup point in Toronto against Zmajevi, he’ll expect his team to live up to their pre-match billing as favourites here. Three points will almost certainly be enough to secure a passage into the Round of 32.
For Qatar, it feels like the pressure if off this summer in their first ever World Cup not on home soil. They were second-best for large swathes of their opening game against Switzerland, but they won’t mind at all after Boualem Khoukhi’s last minute header earned them a draw from the game.
With the group wide open and offering opportunities for three teams to progress, a win here for either side would not only represent an historic first ever World Cup finals victory, but it would also represent a huge opportunity to top the group and progress deep into the tournament.
Canada team news
Question marks remain over the fitness of Canada’s star man Alphonso Davies. The Bayern Munich wide-man missed his team’s first game in Toronto altogether but will be keen to return to action in Vancouver, the home of his first professional team the Whitecaps.
Tani Oluwaseyi was a surprise inclusion in the starting eleven against Bosnia-Herzegovina, but struggled to have much of an impact in that game. Cyle Larin, his replacement, scored his team’s equaliser in that game and will hope to be handed a start this time around.
That’s likely to be the only change to the starting eleven for Marsch’s men, although Alfie Jones of Middlesbrough may feel he can lay claim to a spot in defence.
Qatar team news
Qatar are likely to name an unchanged team from their opening match against Switzerland, where Boualem Khoukhi’s bullet header in injury-time earned the Maroons a first-ever World Cup point.
This squad is packed with experience, with Pedro Miguel becoming the seventh player in the squad to hit the 100 cap mark when he featured in the team’s opening game and that experience will come in key if the AFC side are to earn anything from this match.
Almoez Ali remains the main goal threat for this side. The Al-Duhail forward has 55 international goals to his name in 115 caps for his country and will will look to feed off Akram Afif and Assim Madibo in Vancouver.
Head-to-Head
The only previous meeting between these two teams came in 2022 when goals from Jonathan David and Cyle Larin earned Canada a 0-2 victory in the lead up to the 2022 World Cup.
September 23 2022 – Qatar 0-2 Canada – International Friendly
Can Canada take initiative in Group B?
Our Canada vs Qatar predictions make Canada favourites, but Qatar showed in their opener that they can upset the odds.
Don’t expect plenty of goals. Canada’s recent games have been low-scoring and that trend should continue in what will no doubt be a tense affair. We’re pleasantly surprised to see odds of 4/5 on under 2.5 with bet365.
Cyle Larin will be keen to prove to Jesse Marsch that he should’ve started the opening game and he’s always good value for a few shots, as his loan spell at Southampton showed. Back him for over 1.5 on target at 6/4 with Ladbrokes.
Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
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