AL RAYYAN, Qatar — History is remembered with grand, sweeping narratives, but it’s often made in increments—smaller steps that establish a direction toward the future. That seems especially true in soccer, where hierarchies and pecking orders tend to be rock solid and self perpetuating. It can take generations to climb from one tier to the next.
The American men know this all too well. Absent from the World Cup for 40 years, the U.S. arrived at Italia ’90 with a team of college soccer products, lost all three games and yielded eight goals. In the 32 years since—more than a generation—the Americans have become World Cup regulars (eight of nine) but remain far from title contention. That’s a whole different tier.
Canada’s World Cup wait was 36 years. During much of that drought, soccer appeared to be more of a niche amateur pastime than a national commitment or professional endeavor. From the 2002 cycle through 2018, Canada didn’t even manage to advance to the final round of Concacaf’s qualifying competition. When it started down the road to Qatar in March ‘21, Canada was ranked 73rd by FIFA.
