Canada Soccer Moment of the Year 2022

Canada’s inspirational run to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and their first-ever men’s FIFA World Cup goal were Canada Soccer’s 2022 Moments of the Year. From an incredible 20-match qualification run across nine countries, the Men’s National Team’s return to the world’s biggest stage captured the imagination of an entire nation. Then in the most-watched soccer match in Canadian television history, Alphonso Davies made history when he scored the Men’s National Team’s first FIFA World Cup goal at Qatar 2022.

Fearless and entertaining throughout the group stage at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Canada scored their first goal after just 67 seconds in the second match with a Canadian record-breaking 4.4 million average viewers across CTV, TSN and RDS. Davies was the history maker after he headed home a perfect cross from winger Tajon Buchanan in that second minute. The play was built up across 29 seconds of passing from six players before Davies’ jumping header from inside the 18-yard box sent Canadians in stadium and back home into a frenzy.

Across 2021-22 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, Canada posted 14 wins, four draws and just two losses over three rounds as they became the first nation from the region to qualify for Qatar with a 4:0 home win on 27 March 2022 in Toronto. Canada scored a Men’s National Team record 54 goals across the cycle while Cyle Larin set the Canadian record for goals (13), Alphonso Davies set the Canadian record for assists (eight), and Milan Borjan set the Canadian record for clean sheets (nine). Of note, both Larin (13) and Jonathan David (nine) were the top-two goalscorers across all Concacaf nations in 2021-22 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Throughout the qualifying campaign, Canada set numerous team and individual records, also setting a Concacaf record for the longest undefeated streak in a FIFA World Cup Qualifiers campaign. Canada set their own Men’s National Team records for consecutive wins (eight) and longest home undefeated streak (14 matches). Across 2021, Canada were the “Most Improved Side” on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings.

Canada were ultimately eliminated in the group phase at Qatar 2022, with defeats to the world’s number-two ranked Belgium as well as the eventual third- and fourth-place nations Croatia and Morocco. Looking ahead to the next four-year cycle, Canada will compete in the FIFA World Cup 2026 as one of three co-hosts alongside Mexico and USA. The new journey starts in March 2023 with the continuation of 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League and a potential berth at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, the region’s biennial confederation championship.

At year’s end, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team were recognised as The Canadian Press Team of the Year for the first time while Davies finished the runner up in voting for The Canadian Press Male Athlete of the Year. It also marked just the third time that a soccer team voted The Canadian Press Team of the Year and the first time that soccer teams have won the award in back-to-back years. Before the Men’s National Team in 2022, Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team won The Canadian Press Team of the Year award in both 2012 (Olympic Bronze in London) and 2021 (Olympic Gold in Japan).