Alphonso Davies made his mark as the first Canadian man to score at a World Cup, but a veteran Croatia side won big, sending Canada home early.
— Canada are out of the World Cup after a 4-1 defeat to Croatia at Khalifa International Stadium on Sunday.
— Report: Croatia 4-1 Canada | News and features | World Cup schedule
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first World Cup goal after just 67 seconds, but Croatia staged an impressive comeback thanks to two goals from Andrej Kramaric, another from Marko Livaja, and a late fourth from Lovro Majer to sit top of Group F with one round of games left to play. Croatia will look to book top spot when they play Morocco but Canada will bow out after their game against Belgium.
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1. Canada get first World Cup goal, but they’re going home early
It started so well for Canada when Alphonso Davies got their first-ever men’s national team goal at a World Cup after just 67 seconds, but after being gradually picked apart by Croatia, they’re going home early.
Canada are entertaining and matched two good sides in Belgium and Croatia for large spells, yet they also looked like a team playing in their first World Cup since 1986. It takes time to get used to this level. After failing to score in their only previous World Cup appearance at Mexico 86, Davies sent the Canada fans wild in their corner of Khalifa International Stadium with the quickest goal of the tournament so far, thumping a header in from Tajon Buchanan’s inch-perfect cross.
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But by half-time, the blocks of red shirts were slumped back in their seats after goals from Andrej Kramaric and Marko Livaja put Croatia 2-1 up. The introductions of Jonathan Osorio and Ismael Kone at the break gave Canada fresh impetus, but when Kramaric got his second on 70 minutes, they knew they could start packing their bags. The fourth on the break from substitute Lovro Majer added insult to injury.
Canada will be back in 2026 at co-hosts, of course, while Croatia’s experienced core of Luka Modric, Dejan Lovren and Ivan Perisic will be plotting one last unlikely run.
