Canadian soccer fans erupted in cheers June 18 as the men’s national team won their first-ever World Cup victory, besting Qatar 6–0 in front of a packed crowd at the B.C. Place in Vancouver.
The Canadian team played with speed and intensity, achieving 79 percent possession in a rough game in which Qatar drew two red cards, including a tackle on Canada’s Ismaël Koné that resulted in him being carried off the field on a stretcher.
Canada’s Jonathan David (back) scores past Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi during the first half of a World Cup Group B soccer match, in Vancouver on June 18, 2026. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)
The victory now puts Canada in a strong position heading into its final group match against Switzerland June 24….