A few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup, the situation surrounding Alphonso Davies remains tense. The FC Bayern full-back continues to work on his comeback, while Canada are still not fully convincing in their World Cup preparations. The hosts had to settle for a draw in their dress rehearsal against Ireland
The race against time continues for Alphonso Davies as the Canadian international battles to make his return in time for the home World Cup following his muscle injury, but just a few days before the start of the tournament it is still unclear whether the Bayern professional will be ready for the opener
Canada were once again without their biggest star in their final pre-World Cup friendly, as national team coach Jesse Marsch’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Ireland in Montreal and left a mixed impression
Although the hosts took the lead after 24 minutes through an own goal by Jake O’Brien, the Irish found their way back into the game after the break. Chiedozie Ogbene converted a follow-up shot after goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau had initially saved a penalty from Troy Parrott. In the final phase, Crépeau even prevented a defeat for the Canadians with several strong saves
This brings the immediate World Cup preparations to a close with mixed feelings: after the 2-0 win against Uzbekistan, they failed to secure another victory against Ireland, who did not qualify for the World Cup
Davies remains a big question mark
However, the focus remains on Alphonso Davies, the left-back who suffered a muscle injury in FC Bayern’s Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain on 6 May and has been working on his comeback ever since
The 25-year-old recently expressed cautious optimism, but did not want to make any predictions about a possible appearance in the World Cup opener
„We’ll just have to wait and see how everything develops over the next few days. I’ll just continue with my rehab, with my progress, and see how I feel, day by day, step by step,“ explained Davies
When asked about a possible return against Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Bayern star also refused to commit himself. „I can’t say at the moment whether I’ll be fit in time. Of course I could answer yes or no, but it all depends on how the rehab goes,“ the Canadian emphasized
For Canada, the loss of the Bayern professional would be a serious setback. Davies is regarded as the face of the national team and is of enormous importance to the team both athletically and emotionally
Bayern is also keeping a close eye on developments
National team coach Jesse Marsch already made it clear when the squad was announced that there was no alternative to nominating Davies despite the injury. „Alphonso is a great personality and an important player for us. We want to make sure we set him up for success in every respect,“ explained the former Bundesliga coach
At the same time, Marsch emphasized that he did not want to put any additional pressure on his captain
The situation is also being closely monitored at FC Bayern, where there have recently been concerns at Säbener Straße regarding the full-back’s participation in the World Cup. After several months of injuries, they do not want to take any unnecessary risks
Canada kick off their World Cup campaign on 12 June in Toronto against Bosnia-Herzegovina, followed by Qatar and Switzerland. It remains to be seen whether Alphonso Davies will be back on the pitch by then. The only thing that is clear is that time is running out before the World Cup kicks off.