In Canada's final friendly before the World Cup begins, Les Rouges make the short trip east to Montreal, where they will continue their preparations by taking on the Republic of Ireland at Saputo Stadium.
After a bittersweet 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan, the question now is how Canada will fare against a stronger Irish side.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of match day.
How Canada come into the match
Canada enters this match with some long-standing questions finally answered, having made its long-awaited decision on who will start in goal for the opening World Cup match. Maxime Crépeau, the 32-year-old from Greenfield Park, Quebec, will get the nod against Ireland and is also set to start against Bosnia and Herzegovina a week later.
Canada will look to build on a strong second-half performance against Uzbekistan, which saw the Canucks score twice and keep a clean sheet, as they aim to carry that momentum into the World Cup. With injuries still affecting several key players, expect Canada to make full use of its bench and give players such as Jayden Nelson and Ralph Priso additional opportunities to impress Jesse Marsch and earn a place as the 26th member of the World Cup squad.
How Ireland come into the match
Ireland, on the other hand, enters this match on the back of an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Qatar. Before that, the Boys in Green recorded historic wins over Portugal and Hungary during the European World Cup qualifying group stage, advancing to the playoffs before suffering a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to the Czech Republic after holding a 2-0 lead.
Under head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, the Republic of Ireland appears to be a team on the rise. While Ireland has a few notable absences during this international window, it will still provide a strong test for Canada. With players such as Brentford's Nathan Collins, Everton's Jake O'Brien and club veteran Seamus Coleman, along with AZ Alkmaar striker Troy Parrott, who recorded 31 goals and 12 assists across all competitions last season, this is shaping up to be a highly competitive match.
Players to watch
As previously mentioned, for Canada, athletes such as Jayden Nelson, Ralph Priso, and Maxime Crepeau are players to watch in this friendly competition. With the unfortunate ACL injury to winger Marcelo Flores, the door is wide open for a final spot in the 26-man squad. Nelson and Priso both looked lively on the day against Uzbekistan, with the former getting on the scoresheet. If there is consistency and quality in the second friendly match from either of those players, that could influence Jesse Marsch to include them in the lineup, especially with established veteran Junior Hoilett and up-and-coming Daniel Jebbison eyeing a spot in the squad. Maxime Crepeau has officially won the job; we'll see if winning that spot will inject some added confidence and quality in his play. Another player to watch out for is Moïse Bombito, who is still struggling with his left leg injury, as he was seen limping off with ice on his leg after being subbed off in the 38th minute.
For Ireland, Nathan Collins is a mainstay in the Irish backline, as the Brentford captain defends well and can find the back of the net on set piece duty. Canada will have to be diligent when attacking or marking a player of his stature. The same can be said for Jake O'Brien. Ireland captain Seamus Coleman is another player to watch, as the Everton legend comes into this international window looking for a new club. The aforementioned Troy Parrott is another player that Canada has to defend diligently, as a player of Parrott's quality can find the back of the net with even a small window of opportunity. Chiedozie Ogbene has incredible pace and is a solid dribbler who can put the ball in the back of the net. Finally, young Irishmen such as James Abankwah and Mason Melia are players who hold a lot of potential and points to prove; expect them to get some minutes and play hard.
Availability
Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed, and Jacob Shaffelburg are all set to miss the match. Promise David, Moïse Bombito, and Alfie Jones are still nursing injuries, but are expected to receive some minutes.
On the Ireland side, several big names are out of the squad, including centre-forwards Evan Ferguson and Adam Idah. They will also be missing their starting goalkeeper, with Brentford’s Caoimhín Kelleher set to miss the match. In fact, it appears Ireland will deploy their third-choice goalkeeper, as Stoke City’s Gavin Bazunu is also omitted from the squad. Other notable absences from Ireland’s first team include Dara O’Shea, Ryan Manning, Robbie Brady, Jayson Molumby, Finn Azaz, Jason Knight, Josh Cullen, Sammie Szmodics, and Mikey Johnston.
Projected XIs
Canada (4-4-2): Maxime Crépeau; Alistair Johnston, Joel Waterman, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea; Tajon Buchanan, Ismaël Kone, Stephen Eustáquio (c), Liam Millar; Jonathan David, Tani Oluwasayi
Ireland (3-5-2): Mark Travers; Seamus Coleman, Nathan Collins, Jake O'Brien; James Abankwah, Liam Scales, Conor Coventry, Matt Healy, Killian Philips; Cheidozie Ogbene, Troy Parrott
Game information and how to watch
📆 Friday, June 5, 2026
⏰ 7:45 pm ET / 4:45 pm PT
📺 OneSoccer, TSN, RDS, FuboTV, Telus Optik TV Ch. 980
👤 TBA
🏟 Stade Saputo, Montreal, Canada
