On Thursday, the Canadian men’s national team will open the 2024 Copa América against a living legend of the game, Argentina’s Lionel Messi.
With a stunning eight Ballons d’Or won, Messi is unquestionably the best player that Canada has ever come up against. However, over the years they have faced many football legends in friendlies, World Cup matches and other competitions.
Canada have played against multiple superstars of the Dutch, German, Spanish and Brazilian teams of the 1990s, France at the 1986 World Cup, England legends like Gary Lineker and Peter Shilton, as well as the likes of Kevin De Bruyne at the 2022 World Cup.
They faced a number of top opponents ahead of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, which is playing out again in the lead-up to 2026 with recent friendlies against the likes of the Netherlands and France. It shows how significant this opportunity is for the team to use this platform as World Cup hosts to test themselves against top teams before the tournament.
In honour of the famous number 10 they’ll be playing on Thursday, here is a look at 10 of the best players that the Canadian men’s national team has ever faced in international action.
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Sergio Agüero, Argentina
As Canada gets set for its latest meeting against Argentina, it is worth looking back to the last time they played in 2010 ahead of that year’s FIFA World Cup. Canada were ultimately dominated 5-0 on that day with Maxi Rodríguez, Ángel Di María and Carlos Tevez all scoring.
The fifth goalscorer, however, was none other than Sergio Agüero, who would go on to become one of the most prolific strikers in English Premier League history. Agüero scored 260 times in all competitions for Manchester City, winning the league five times, and an FA Cup in 2018-19.
With Argentina, he won an Olympic gold medal in 2008, a Copa América in 2021 and was World Cup runner-up in 2021. That goal against Canada was the eighth of 41 he ultimately scored for his country.
Dennis Bergkamp, The Netherlands
In the lead-up to the 1994 World Cup in the United States, Canada played several home friendlies against top opposition. One such matchup came against the Dutch at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium on June 12, 1994.
That star-studded Dutch team featured several legends, including Arsenal star Dennis Bergkamp, who opened the scoring in a 3-0 victory for the Netherlands on that day. Marc Overmars and Frank Rijkaard also scored for the Oranje.
The three-time English Premier League champion was a part of Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ team that went undefeated in 2003-04. He scored 120 goals and also won four FA Cups during his time with the Gunners.
Cafu, Brazil
On June 5, 1994 Canada earned one of their most impressive results in national team history as they drew powerhouse Brazil 1-1 in front of 51,922 at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Brazil would go on to win the 1994 World Cup just over a month later.
The Brazil squad that day included several legends, including captain Dunga, and Romário who went on to win the World Cup Golden Ball and scored Brazil’s goal in Edmonton. Eddy Berdusco replied for Canada in the 70th minute.
The biggest name Canada faced that day, however, was a young Cafu who came off the bench in the 65th minute. The legendary fullback went on to win two World Cups, two Copa Américas and the UEFA Champions League in 2006-07. He is widely considered one of the best to ever play his position.
Lothar Matthäus, Germany
Another opponent Canada faced in the buildup to the 1994 World Cup was Germany, whom they also played at Varsity Stadium in June of that year.
Matthias Sammer and Rudi Völler scored in a 2-0 victory for a star-studded German team, which also featured Jurgen Klinsmann. Likely the biggest name on that squad, however, was Lothar Matthäus. The legendary midfielder played 150 matches for Germany, making him the most-capped player in German national team history. He won the World Cup in 1990 with Germany, as well as the 1980 Euros.
Matthäus won the Ballon d’Or the same year as Germany’s World Cup triumph, in 1990. He also won seven Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, a Serie A title with Inter Milan, and scored 23 goals for his country, including four at Italia ’90.
Kylian Mbappé, France
At just 25 years of age, his legend has not yet reached its heights. But there is no doubt when Kylian Mbappé stepped onto the pitch as a substitute in their 0-0 draw with France earlier this month he was one of the most significant opponents Canada has ever faced.
In his young career, Mbappé has already won the World Cup once in 2018 and scored a hat trick in the final of the 2022 World Cup despite losing to Argentina.
With 47 goals in 80 caps already for France, Mbappé is destined to go down as one of the greats, especially now that he is on the move to Real Madrid where more trophies surely await. He already has a stunning seven Ligue 1 titles to his name between his time with PSG and Monaco.
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Luka Modrić, Croatia
Canada got to see first-hand that class is permanent when they faced Luka Modrić and Croatia in the second match of the 2022 World Cup group stage. At 37 years of age at the time, Modrić still dominated the midfield during a 4-1 humbling for Canada.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner would go on to lead his team to the semifinal of that competition. He also helped Croatia to a World Cup final in 2018. Now 38, he is coming off a year in which he won his fourth La Liga title, and stunning sixth UEFA Champions League trophy.
In total, Modrić has played a record 177 times for Croatia, scoring 25 goals. He has the most caps of any Croatian national team player in the country’s history.
Michael Platini, France
Canada’s first ever match at a FIFA World Cup was an incredible test, as they came up against France in 1986. Les Rouges gave a good account of themselves, losing just 1-0 on an 80th-minute goal from Jean-Pierre Papin.
The star of that French team, however, was undoubtedly Michael Platini. The top scorer at Euro ’84, with a stunning nine goals as France won the competition at home, Platini is one of the all-time great French players.
During his illustrious career, he also won a pair of Serie A titles with Juventus, a European Cup in 1984-85 and was the Ballon d’Or winner three times.
Sergio Ramos, Spain
In September of 2005, Canada faced a star-studded Spanish side in a friendly in Santander. This was not yet the great Spanish dynasty that would follow, but featured a number of great Spanish players including Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres and Raúl.
Starting in the centre of defence during that match was a young Sergio Ramos, who was playing for just the fifth time for the senior national team. Ramos would go on to make a record 180 appearances for Spain, winning the 2010 World Cup, and the Euros in both 2008 and 2012.
For club, he won La Liga five times with Real Madrid, and four UEFA Champions League titles. There are few better central defenders in world football history than Ramos, but Canada still did manage to sneak one past Spain that day as Sandro Grande scored in a 2-1 loss.
Hugo Sánchez, Mexico
An opponent that Canada faced multiple times over the years was Mexican superstar Hugo Sánchez. In fact, three of his 29 international goals for Mexico came against Les Rouges.
His biggest was in a 1994 World Cup qualifier at Varsity Stadium, in which Mexico’s 2-1 victory qualified them for that tournament and left Canada to play in an inter-continental playoff against Australia which they ultimately lost on penalty kicks.
Sánchez had an incredible career both domestically and abroad, winning La Liga five times with Real Madrid. He scored a stunning 208 times for Los Blancos, putting him seventh all-time in scoring for the storied club.
Xavi, Spain
Another legend of the game who was part of the Spain side that Canada faced in 2005 was Xavi Hernández, who came into the match as a late substitute.
Xavi was a central part of the Spanish dream team that won the World Cup in 2010, as well as the Euros in both 2008 and 2012. He played 133 times for Spain, scoring 13 goals.
He was also part of the great Barcelona dynasty, with whom he won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies and is one of the best midfielders in the history of the game.