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Canada and Guatemala face off in the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League 2026-2027 quarterfinals on November 13 in Guatemala City, with the return match in Toronto on November 16.
Canada and Guatemala will play the first leg of the CONCACAF Nations League 2026-2027 quarterfinals on November 13 at the Manuel Felipe Carrera stadium, known as El Trébol, in Guatemala City. The second leg will take place on November 16 at BMO Field in Toronto.
Canada will be without midfielders Jonathan Osorio and Jacob Shaffelburg due to injuries. Osorio played 89 minutes in Toronto FC's 4-1 loss to Philadelphia on November 7. Shaffelburg left Los Angeles FC's 2-1 loss to Seattle in the 79th minute on November 7 after a hard tackle.
Defender Zorhan Bassong and forwards Charles-Andreas Brym and Theo Corbeanu were added to the squad. The Canadian Soccer Association announced the changes on November 2.
Captain Alphonso Davies is expected to play against Guatemala. He played few minutes in one match during the World Cup this summer while recovering from a hamstring injury and missed the national team's three friendlies in late September and early October for his honeymoon.
Guatemala forward Rubio Rubín was named USL Championship Player of the Year and selected for the season's Best XI while playing for El Paso Locomotive. He led his team with 19 goals in the regular season, a new record.
Rubín scored for Guatemala against Canada in the 2025 Gold Cup, equalizing at 1-1 before Guatemala advanced on penalties to the semifinals.
The winner of the series will advance to the CONCACAF Nations League final phase in Los Angeles in March 2027 and qualify for the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The loser will play in the Gold Cup preliminary round.
Canada is ranked 27th in the FIFA world ranking, while Guatemala is ranked 95th. The Canadian Soccer Association will also honor former midfielder Julian de Guzmán during halftime of the Toronto match for his induction into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class. De Guzmán played 89 international matches between 2002 and 2016 and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The winner earns a place in the CONCACAF Nations League final phase and qualification for the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while the loser enters the Gold Cup preliminary round.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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