The upcoming 2021 Canadian men’s national team campaign is going to be an important one.

John Herdman’s side could play over 20 competitive games between revamped World Cup qualifying and the 2021 Gold Cup. Matches are slated to begin in March, with their five-team first-stage hurdle towards the 2022 World Cup kicking off against Bermuda.

By then, Canada’s men’s team will have gone over a calendar year without playing a match. That’s a long time.

If you can’t wait, we’d suggest picking up Football Manager 21, the world’s most popular football simulation game available on Steam, Epic Games, and mobile. The Canadian Premier League is a playable league in FM21, as is the Canadian men’s national team.

Here are six accurate or not-so-accurate CanMNT attributes in FM21.

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Alphonso Davies – Winger

Emerging as one of the quickest players in Europe’s upper echelons over the past 12 months, Davies has received a slight bump in physicals year-over-year, especially in the “acceleration” category.

However, FM21 has Davies way, way, way below the world’s paciest players. So far outside, in fact, that the former Vancouver Whitecaps star stands on the outside of the top 60 players in terms of pace. Yes, the same person that set a Bundesliga speed record last season.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé and Adama Traore of Wolves stand as the only players with perfect “20s” under both pace and acceleration.

Jonathan David – Attacker

Jonathan David is a much more all-around attacker in FM21 than in its predecessor, which clipped his real-life ability as a creator in the final third.

David received a bump in nearly every FM attribute following his move to LOSC Lille. Passing, first touch, and massive increases in mental attributes make him a much more effective attacking midfielder or creative winger. A much better definition of his ability as an attacker.

Liam Millar – Winger

Canada’s sometimes-forgotten wonderkid at Liverpool, Liam Millar is made to be a notable prospect in FM21. What he lacks in mental stats, which he will likely accrue in the coming virtual years, he makes up in pace, finishing and the underrated attribute of “determination.”

Millar stands quite close to Junior Hoilett – objectively a first-choice winger – and will probably surpass him in ability by the time the virtual 2022 World Cup rolls around.

David Edgar – Defender

David Edgar can still do a job for Canada… even though he’s retired in real life.

The 33-year-old virtual profile holds up quite nicely to the likes of Doneil Henry and Steven Vitória, Canada’s other top centre-backs. Most importantly, Edgar, who is considered the best CPLer in FM21, is viewed in-game as a solid depth choice for John Herdman – an accurate depiction for a top-tier CPLer.

Atiba Hutchinson – Midfielder

Atiba Hutchinson’s flattering FM21 profile highlights his skills well. Mental attributes, including a perfect “20” in teamwork, and impressive fitness attributes mean “Hutch” could play for another couple of seasons in-game. Also, with his contract expiring mid-June 2021, could you convince the 37-year-old to swap out Beşiktaş A.Ş. for a swansong abroad?

Cyle Larin – Attacker

Football Manager gives Cyle Larin a nice little profile before the 2021 season – perhaps his seven-goal season at SV Zulte Waregem is the reason for the buff.

It’s up to Canadian men’s national team supporters to determine if this increase is too much to be considered realistic. To give an example, 25-year-old Larin is Canada’s best all-around finisher, with a “14” in finishing and “13” in heading. His strength stat is also top among the player pool, too. Larin is so highly-rated that your assistant manager will often pick Larin over Jonathan David, which is not how things played out with Herdman in 2019.