Canada heads home from the World Cup with work to be done

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Canada plays its final group stage match at the World Cup already knowing it won’t go through to the knockout round. Canada played in its first men’s World Cup in 36 years, and just second overall, in Qatar. A 1-0 loss to Belgium in the opener followed by a 4-1 drubbing by Croatia eliminated the Canadians’ chances of reaching the knockout round before their final Group F game against Morocco on Thursday. With their World Cup journey nearly over, Canada will soon turn to preparing for the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host with the United States and Mexico.