7 Brampton players make Canada’s 2022 World Cup roster

Seven Brampton players have made the cut for Canada’s 2022 FIFA World Cup squad as Canada heads to the tournament for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Captained by Brampton’s Atiba Hutchinson, more than a quarter of Canada’s 26-man team hail from the Flower City and will represent the country when tournament play begins in Qatar on Sunday (Nov. 20).

Tajon Buchanan, Cyle Larin, Liam Millar, Ike Ugbo and David “Junior” Hoilett are all from Brampton and make up the majority of forwards on the team, while midfielder Jonathan Osorio rounds out the squad’s Brampton connections.

Defender Doneil Henry from Brampton is also going to Qatar, but in a non-playing role after he suffered a calf injury prior to Friday’s 2-2 tie with Bahrain.

The Canadian team will be part of Group F when the tournament kicks off, playing their first match against Belgium on November 23. They will then face Croatia on November 27, and finish group play against Morocco on December 1.

The 39-year-old Hutchinson recovered from a bone bruise injury just in time for the tournament and could see action as a centre back if needed, according to Coach John Herdman.

Hutchinson is Canada’s all-time men’s caps leader with 97, and returned to action Wednesday in a Turkish Cup game with Besiktas.

He also has a soccer court being named after him in Brampton. Located at Century Gardens Recreation Centre, the court is smaller than a full soccer field and offers players a chance to strengthen their skill set while encouraging creativity on the pitch.

Hutchinson was just 3-years-old in 1986 when Canada last played in the World Cup. The Canadians lost to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union by a combined 5-0.

Canada earned its 2022 World Cup spot through the two early rounds of CONCACAF qualifying because of the squad’s low ranking.

The team emerged atop the field ahead of Mexico and the third-place United States, which both had byes to the final round.

The men’s team has come down from its qualifying high, winning just two of four friendly matches last month.

The Canadians secured their ticket to Qatar with a 4-0 win over Jamaica in March at Toronto’s BMO Field with one game to spare. They finished with a 14-2-4 record across three rounds of qualifying in the region, outscoring the opposition 54-8.

FIFA announced in June it was changing the roster number to “at least 23 and a maximum of 26,” citing “the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also to the unique timing — November and December — of Qatar 2022.

The World Cup is traditionally held in the summer. But it was switched this time because of the heat in Qatar, meaning many leagues are playing around the tournament.

If a player on the roster picks up an injury or contracts COVID, he can be replaced up to the day before the team’s first match.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13. 2022.

With files from The Canadian Press