Group F 🇧🇪🇨🇦🇲🇦ðŸ‡ðŸ‡·#CANMNT #WeCAN #FinalDraw pic.twitter.com/cypz9cTTx0
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) April 1, 2022
Canada was literally the last ball drawn out of Pot 4 for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Canadian men's soccer team will be in Group F with Belgium, Morocco, and Croatia.
Even though Canada won the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) qualifying, the team still ended up in Pot 4, ranked 38 in FIFA rankings. The rankings for Canada's opponents are Belgium (2), Croatia (16), and Morocco (24).
Croatia was the runner-up in 2018, Belgium finished 3rd in 2018 so there is some tough competition. Morocco was in the World Cup in 2018 with a best finish in the round of 16 in 1986, the year Canada qualified for the World Cup.
Here is the Canadian schedule:
| Date | Opponent | Time | Stadium | City |
| November 23 | Belgium | 2200 | Ahmad bin Ali Stadium | Al Rayyan |
| November 27 | Croatia | 1900 | Khalifa International Stadium | Al Rayyan |
| December 1 | Morocco | 1800 | Al Thumama Stadium | Doha |
Times listed are Qatar time, GMT+3. EST (Eastern) is GMT-5.
The late night times might seem like a disadvantage but consider that Qatar has an average high of 30°C (86°F) in November.
The top 2 teams in each group advance to the knockout stage.
Canada has been a bit excited when the men's soccer team qualified for the 2022 World Cup with a 4-0 win over Jamaica at BMO Field on Sunday.
Canada finished first in CONCACAF qualifying with a 8-2-4 record. The final match was actually a 1-0 loss to Panama in Panama City on Wednesday.
Alphonso Davies may be the most famous name on the team. The team also has Cyle Larin (Besiktas) and Jonathan David (Lille) who are in the Champions League. Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC) and captain Atiba Hutchinson (Besiktas) are notables in midfield.
Englishman John Herdman is the team coach. You might remember that Herdman led the 2015 Women's World Cup team.
2021 Tokyo Olympics Canadian wrapup
Canada and soccer means women's soccer. The women's soccer team won the gold medal in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Canada hosted the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Christine Sinclair is the most famous soccer player from Canada.
The Canadian men's soccer team wants to shift that perspective now that the team will play in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
U.S. uses sun, speed to win 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
This is the first time in the tournament for Canada since 1986 and only the second appearance ever.
Canada lost all 3 games in Group C in 1986 and didn't score a goal, finishing with a -5 goal differential.Canada lost to France (0-1), Hungary (0-2), and the Soviet Union (0-2) in Mexico.
CanadianCrossing.com soccer coverage
The timing of Canada reaching the World Cup is extra good since the United States, Canada, and Mexico will host the 2026 World Cup.
Twitter capture: @CanadaSoccerEN
photo credit: One Soccer
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