Canada will announce its World Cup roster on Sunday, 10 days before opening play in Qatar against No. 2 Belgium.
Coach John Herdman can name up to 26 players. The roster limit was 23 at past tournaments.
In June, FIFA announced that final rosters have been increased to at least 23 and a maximum of 26 "given the need to retain additional flexibility due to the unique timing of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the global calendar, as well as the broader context of the disruptive effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on squads before and during tournaments."
The soccer showcase is being held in November and December as opposed to the usual summer months because of Qatar’s high temperatures. The scheduling means most players are involved in club games right until the World Cup break.
Herdman has already had injury headaches with goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau (broken leg) and defender Scott Kennedy (shoulder) ruled out of the tournament in recent days. There was another scare on the weekend when Alphonso Daves limped off with a hamstring injury but Bayern Munich says the 22-year-old from Edmonton should be ready for the World Cup.
Clubs have to release players Nov. 14 for the tournament, which runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 18.
Herdman is currently holding a camp in Bahrain for out-of-season players with a game against Bahrain on Thursday. The full team will then play a final World Cup warmup on Nov. 17 against Japan in Dubai.
Teams have already started revealing their rosters. Japan and Brazil have named their squads with U.S. Soccer scheduled to announce its roster on Wednesday in New York.
Herdman has said he planned to leave his reveal until as late as possible, to accommodate injuries. The deadline is Nov. 14.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2022
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
