Canada finished their 2025 schedule on a high note with a 2-0 victory over Venezuela in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Ismael Kone and Promise David found the back of the net for the Canadian side. Kone’s goal broke a 342-minute scoring drought for Canada. Coach Jesse Marsch praised the team’s progress and highlighted their intensity and aggressiveness in the match.
The win marked Canada’s seventh victory of the year, with two draws resulting in penalty shootout losses. The team’s solid defensive performance earned them their fifth shutout in the last six games. Canada now looks ahead to the World Cup draw on December 5 in Washington, D.C.
Despite Venezuela dominating possession, Canada capitalized on their chances, leading 1-0 at halftime. Kone opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, followed by David’s goal in the 83rd minute. Both teams ended the match with ten men after red cards were shown to Kone and a Venezuelan player.
Wayne Gretzky, the hockey legend, visited the Canadian dressing room before the game to inspire the team. Marsch made strategic lineup changes, including giving English-born defender Alfie Jones his Canada debut. The victory over Venezuela added to Canada’s positive momentum heading into the upcoming FIFA international windows.
In other World Cup qualifying news, Curacao made history by becoming the smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup. They will be joined by Panama and Haiti, who also secured their spots in the tournament. Additionally, several European teams secured automatic qualification, including Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Scotland, and Austria.