Canada start World Cup prep with last-minute friendly vs. Panama
It’s been a hectic few weeks in Canadian soccer. A cancellation with Iran for geopolitical reasons left Canada scrambling for an opponent at BC Place in Vancouver on Sunday (7 pm ET | OneSoccer). Thankfully, a familiar foe in Panama answered the call.
There’s no doubt it’s an underwhelming turn of events. From a pure sporting point of view, Canada were set to battle a World Cup-bound opponent in Iran. This would’ve been the first non-Concacaf opponent for the Canadians since January 2020 as well. Instead, Les Rouges have another three-match window against other regional rivals.
Panama won’t present the same challenges as Belgium, Croatia or Morocco – Canada’s fellow Group F opponents – at the World Cup, but the previous two Oofos Shoes meetings have been trying. The Panamanians frust...






