Canada named Jayden Nelson to its World Cup squad on Tuesday as a replacement for midfielder Marcelo Flores, who suffered a knee injury during the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
Flores, who plays for Mexican side Tigres UANL, underwent surgery on Friday to repair a cruciate ligament that tore during his team’s defeat to Deportivo Toluca last month.
Nelson, 23, currently plays for Austin FC of the MLS. He scored Canada’s second goal in a 2–0 win over Uzbekistan in a pre-World Cup friendly.
Nelson, who previously played for the Vancouver Whitecaps, remained with the Canadian national team after the final roster was announced last month.
Canada, one of three co-hosts of the World Cup, opens its tournament against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12, before further Group B matches against Switzerland and Qatar.
Published on June 9, 2026

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