FIFA World Cup 2026: Alphonso Davies is fit for South Africa, says Canadian coach Marsch

Canada captain Alphonso Davies is fit for Sunday’s last-32 match against South Africa, coach Jesse Marsch said.

He is recovering from a left hamstring injury suffered during the second leg of the Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich’s Paris Saint Germain last month.

“Now that we have Alphonso back, healthy and ready to perform, I think this is a big moment for the team and a big boost for the team,” Marsch said on Saturday.

Davies wanted to take the field in Canada’s final match in Group B against Switzerland, which lost 2-1, but Marsch told the 25-year-old it was too early.

“It was hard to watch those three games,” Davies said. «It was painful. All you want to do is play.»

Marsch said protecting Davies was his goal. “You have to treat them (players) as if they were Ferraris,” he added.

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He previously told reporters that Davies had recovered from a hamstring injury and was ready to face the Swiss, but revealed after the match that he had not told the whole truth, adding that he said Davies would play in an attempt to fool the Canadian opponents.

On Saturday, the American coach said defender Moise Bombito, who came on at halftime in Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar, was also fit to match. Bombito broke his leg playing for Nice last October.

South Africa upset South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday and Marsch said he wanted his team to be “very aggressive” on Sunday.

It is Canada’s first match in the US at this tournament after playing the games so far at home and its first knockout match at the World Cup after twice advancing from the group stage.

As one of three countries hosting the finals, expectations are high for Canada, but a mixed bag of draws, wins and losses in the group stage has left fans unsure of the team’s potential. Co-hosts Mexico and the US achieved better results.

But Davies said it was great to see packed stadiums full of red-and-white-clad Canadian fans. “It was surreal because I’ve never seen so many Canadians at a football game,” Davies said. “It brought tears to my eyes.”

Published on June 28, 2026