Team Canada Kicks Off World Cup Against Tough Belgium Squad

For the first time since 1986, Canada will be represented at the World Cup, and they’ll kick off their tournament by taking on a solid Belgium team.

Group F has some depth to it, and Canada will have to face their biggest challenge of the group stage in their first matchup, taking on the No. 2 ranked team in the world, Belgium. The match is set to begin locally at 22:00 while being broadcasted in Canada at 2:00 p.m. ET. 

You can argue that it’s good for Canada to get their most significant challenge out of the way early in the group stage, but it will be interesting to see how this young team responds.

The health of star Canadian forward Alphonso Davies has been a key talking point leading up to the first match. Davies suits up for powerhouse Bayern Munich and hasn’t been able to play since November 6 after injuring himself in a Bundesliga game. Davies will be a significant focal point in what Canada hopes to accomplish in this World Cup, so you can’t understate the concern for his health and his overall importance to the team’s success.

Let’s dive into the current odds for this match on the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

It’s easy to see why Belgium is listed as a sizable favorite in this matchup. This should be the last go around for this core group of Belgian players, who recognize the urgency to accomplish their team goals. They operate in a system that should give Canada trouble but don’t expect this Canadian team to be phased while playing under head coach John Herdman. The Canadian team is young but has the potential to shake up Group F, even as soon as this opening match. 

With talents such as Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies, Canada has the personnel to give their opposition fits if they don’t take them seriously. It’s hard to see that being the case for a veteran Belgium team, but it’s still a point worth mentioning with some of the play that we’ve already seen transpire early in the World Cup. 

There’s not much value in Belgium winning this match at -200, but they should find a way to win this game. Still, if Canada can continue to surprise people, it’s not the worst idea to sprinkle some money on a potential tie at +340.