Beginning today, TSN Soccer’s Steven Caldwell will give a weekly projection of Canada’s 26-player squad at next summer’s 2026 FIFA World Cup with Race for the Roster.

Canada’s first match is set for exactly one year from today – Jun 12, 2026 – at Toronto’s BMO Field.

Caldwell’s projections will take into account each player’s form that week.

Speaking to Caldwell about the process, Canada manager Jesse Marsch says he’s broken the talent pool into tiers.

“We have three tiers of players,” Marsch said. “So it probably amounts to 63 players, I think. Tier 1 guys are guys who we know, if they’re healthy and everything is in order, they’re coming into the camp. Tier 2 are guys we’re considering about positional needs and how they might be able to compliment. And then Tier 3 is guys who are a little bit more on the periphery but still have potential to emerge. And we’re changing it monthly – almost weekly – based on performance at the clubs, based on performance when they come in.”

With that in mind, Caldwell has released his first rankings in a 4-4-2 formation.

Players in italics are Caldwell's locks for the starting XI.

Race for the Roster: Week 1 - Starting strikers

Each week Steven Caldwell will be looking at the form of the Canadian players around the world and picking the 26-player squad that Jesse Marsch will name for the 2026 FIFA World Cup while also predicting the starting 11 for Canada's first World Cup game. He joins Luke Wileman to make his first picks for the starting centre forwards.

Forwards

STARTERS: Jonathan David (unattached) and Cyle Larin (Mallorca)
BENCH: Promise David (Union SG), Daniel Jebbison (Bournemouth) and Tani Oluwayesi (Minnesota United)

Caldwell considers a healthy David to be a lock for the starting XI. The 25-year-old Brooklyn-born Ottawa native scored 16 Ligue 1 goals in his final season at Lille. David is expected join a high-profile club in the coming weeks.

Larin’s position in the starting XI is in question, though. The 30-year-old Brampton, Ont. native has 30 international goals, the second most all-time behind David's 34, in 82 appearances, but he only has one in his past 16 matches for the CanMNT. He had seven goals across all competitions this season for Mallorca. Still, as Caldwell notes, Larin still has the trust of Marsch.

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Race for the Roster: Week 1 - Starting midfielders and backline

As TSN continues to build up towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Steven Caldwell will be looking at the form of the Canadian players around the world and picking the 26-player squad that Jesse Marsch will name for the World Cup while also predicting the starting 11 for Canada's first World Cup game. He joins Luke Wileman to make his first picks for the starting midfielders and backline.

Midfield and defenders

STARTING MIDFIELDERS: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Ismael Kone (Marseille), Stephen Eustaquio (Porto) and Tajon Buchanan (Inter)
BENCH: Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville), Liam Millar (Hull City), Nathan Saliba (CF Montreal), Mathieu Choiniere (Grasshoppers), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC) and Ali Ahmed (Vancouver Whitecaps)

STARTING DEFENDERS: Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Derek Cornelius (Marseille), Moise Bombito (Nice) and Alistair Johnston (Celtic)
BENCH: Sam Adekugbe (Vancouver Whitecaps), Jamie Knight-Lebel (Bristol City), Luc de Fougerolles (Fulham) and Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split)

For Caldwell, Davies, who should be back from his ACL injury in the fall, and Eustaquio are locks in the midfield. Having Davies in at left wing rather than left-back gives the Edmonton native more license to attack. Caldwell argues that removing some of his defensive responsibilities with put Davies more at ease.

Kone’s position in the starting XI is greatly dependent on what happens at the club level next season. During last summer’s Copa America, the Montreal native left Championship side Watford for Marseille and his transition to Ligue 1 was a rough one. Kone drew the public ire of manager Roberto De Zerbi on more than one occasion and found himself loaned out to Rennes in January where he made 13 appearances, starting four of them. Marseille will play Champions League football next season, but it remains to be seen where Kone figures into OM’s plans.

Winger Buchanan finds himself in a similar situation. Loaned out to Villarreal in January, the Brampton, Ont. native’s status will come down to playing time. Buchanan needs more regular football before he can receive a lock from Caldwell.

In the back, Johnston, who has become arguably the best right-back in Scotland, and Bombito are locks for Caldwell. Montreal native Bombito didn’t play in the Canadian Shield and won’t be in the squad for the Gold Cup due to undergoing wrist surgery after his first season in France. He will be ready to go for Nice’s season opener in August.

Cornelius is not a lock, however, despite not really being pushed by the 19-year-old de Fougerolles and the 20-year-old Knight-Lebel. While Cornelius showed promise in his first Ligue 1 season and has developed a rapport with Bombito as his partner in central defence, Caldwell isn’t ready to lock him in. He would like to see more consistency at the club level and raise his game before next summer.

The big surprise in Caldwell’s starting XI is Laryea at left-back. The vacancy at the position is because of Caldwell’s desire to play Davies up. The Toronto native’s versatility and athleticism make his profile the closest to matching what Davies brings to the position. Tactically, should the need arise, Davies and Laryea could be swapped.

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Race for the Roster: Week 1 - Starting goalkeeper

As TSN continues to build up towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Steven Caldwell will be looking at the form of the Canadian players around the world and picking the 26-player squad that Jesse Marsch will name for the World Cup while also predicting the starting 11 for Canada's first World Cup game. He joins Luke Wileman to make his first pick for the starting goalkeeper.

Goalkeeper

STARTER: Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United)
BENCH: Maxime Crepeau (Portland Timbers) and Tom McGill (Brighton)
IN THE HUNT: : James Pantemis (Portland Timbers) and Jonathan Sirois (CF Montreal)

The choice of Canada’s No. 1 headed into next summer might be the most difficult decision Marsch has to make with his roster construction. Right now, Caldwell will give the edge to Pickering, Ont.’s St. Clair ahead of Longueuil, Que.’s Crepeau. Certainly, nothing is locked in here.

Since moving to the Timbers from Los Angeles FC, Crepeau has struggled mightily and has yet to recover the form he had prior to the leg break he incurred during the MLS Cup Final in 2022 that caused him to miss out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But it’s a different story with the national team where Crepeau has looked considerably better than he has in MLS.