Team Canada head coach Jesse Marsch may not be Canadian, but you won’t find anyone who believes in his team more than the Wisconsin native.
Marsch has been pumping his team up unlike many others ever since taking over the national team program in 2024, and that was especially the case throughout Canada’s historic run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It unfortunately came to an end in the Round of 16 thanks to a 3-0 loss to Morocco, but after the match, Marsch’s positivity wasn’t waning, saying that despite the result, he’d rather “be us than them.”
Those comments, to no surprise, have drawn plenty of attention, and former English footballer Troy Deeney was one of those to call them out over the weekend.
“Yeah sure Jesse, whatever he’s drinking in the morning I want a little bit of that. But I think a lot of what he said was very true. Great, the fans are now engaged, they’ve got loads of firsts that you just alluded to, they’re in a wonderful position. But to say that you’d rather be Canada than be Morocco is quite possibly one of the most stupid things I’ve ever heard.
They’ve just beat you, first and foremost, and we’re saying how poor Morocco played—they beat you 3-0. Tactically they’re better, their under-20s are better, their under-17s are better, their setup is better, their infrastructure for football in general is better, but you would prefer to be Canada. I understand you’ve got to give a positive message, but you know why people like myself get so frustrated? It’s when you try to sell me poo in a bag and tell me it’s chocolate. I know the difference. Stop lying to everyone,”
The Round of 16 exit was by far Canada’s best-ever finish at a FIFA Men’s World Cup.
It’s fair to say it probably wasn’t Morocco’s best game, though they showed the ability to capitalize on their opportunities, while Canada failed to do so, particularly in the first half despite carrying the better of the play.
The Canadians will now need to continue developing and growing the game north of the border, and this World Cup should serve as a great stepping stone as they set their sights on an even better finish in 2030.
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