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As the World Cup approaches in just two weeks, injury concerns are cropping up across multiple teams, not just Canada.
Canada’s captain Alphonso Davies remains sidelined after tearing his ACL in March and suffering a hamstring injury earlier this month while playing for Bayern Munich. He missed Canada’s training camp in Charlotte, North Carolina, and coach Jesse Marsch does not expect Davies to be ready for Canada’s opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto. Marsch remains hopeful Davies will return at some point during the tournament, but nothing is certain yet.
Argentina faces a similar setback with Lionel Messi dealing with a hamstring injury sustained while playing for Inter Miami. Messi, who led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, exited a recent club match due to “muscle fatigue” in his left hamstring. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said initial reports are “not entirely bad,” but they are monitoring his recovery closely. Messi plans to join Argentina’s training camp but may miss their pre-World Cup friendlies on June 6 and 9 in the United States. Argentina begins its World Cup campaign against Algeria on June 16.
Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez fractured his right ring finger during warmups for the Europa League final last week. Despite the injury, he played and helped Aston Villa secure victory and is expected to be fit for the World Cup.
Brazil’s Neymar also carries an injury, having missed his last three club matches with a bruised right calf. The 34-year-old forward downplayed the injury but is unlikely to feature in Brazil’s warmup games ahead of their June 13 opener against Morocco. Neymar has not played for Brazil since tearing his ACL in 2023.
Spain is hopeful about 18-year-old Barcelona talent Lamine Yamal, who is recovering from a hamstring injury. Yamal has been out since late April but is expected to be ready for Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde on June 15. The young star helped Spain win the 2024 European Championship and became the youngest scorer in the tournament’s history during the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Iran’s participation in the World Cup has sparked controversy due to geopolitical tensions. Following U.S. military action against Iran, the Iranian team’s base will be moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico. The team will commute to their matches in the U.S., playing New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles and Egypt in Seattle, as FIFA rejected Iran’s request to relocate those games to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum supported the change in base location, saying the team will stay in Mexico and travel into the U.S. only on game days.
Amid these sports stories, fans face another challenge: soaring ticket prices. StubHub listings show that the cheapest seat for Canada’s opening match in Toronto costs over $1,000 CAD, with premium seats exceeding $6,000. Fans are also frustrated by increased costs for parking, public transit, and fan events, raising affordability concerns. FIFA president Gianni Infantino attributes the prices to high demand in the North American market but has faced criticism for a lack of transparency after releasing a limited batch of lower-cost tickets.
For more World Cup insights, fans can check out the latest episode of Soccer North on the CBC Sports YouTube channel.