It was a moment that will go down in Canadian football history.
The country’s star player, Alphonso Davies, leapt high in the skies of Doha to meet Tajon Buchanan’s perfect cross and power in a header to become the first man to score for the Maple Leafs at a World Cup.
The opener against Croatia came just 68 seconds into the game and thrilled North American fans inside the Khalifa International Stadium.
Boss John Herdman said afterwards: “It was a great start and a proud moment for the fans at the stadium and the people at home. We got to celebrate something that we’ve been looking forward to for a long time.”
But 2018 finalists Croatia didn’t read the script because they fight back to win 4-1 and ending Canada’s dreams by kicking them out of the tournament after back-to-back losses.
“He is incredible, the Canadian Gareth Bale”
Winger Davies’ name will forever be etched in Canadian folklore as the man who scored his first World Cup goal in his fifth game – and after 50 missed attempts.
His story is one of incredible resilience which has seen the 22-year-old experience a meteoric rise.
Born in a refugee camp in Ghana in 2000, Davies’ parents fled civil war in Liberia and moved to Canada as refugees when he was five years old.
But he now plays for Bayern Munich – one of Europe’s biggest teams – after the Bundesliga champions paid a record £9.84m to sign him from Vancouver Whitecaps aged 17. in 2018.
Former England defender Martin Keown said on BBC One: “Alphonso Davies’ pace is breathtaking. When he wins the ball he travels with such pace. I’ve seen him play centre-forward for Canada They see him as their Gareth Bale.
“Davies is truly an incredible player. Canada only needs two or three of him on the pitch.
Canada has four years to find other players of Davies’ quality before co-hosting the 2026 tournament alongside the United States and Mexico.
Boss Herdman said: “We have young guys who have grown up across Canada and they have shown they can compete.
“These players can really believe they are heading in the right direction for 2026.”
Davies, however, may feel a sense of regret. Despite scoring the fastest goal of this World Cup so far against Croatia, his missed penalty against Belgium at 0-0 in the opener proved crucial as Canada lost 1 -0.
They will finish Group F against undefeated Morocco next Thursday, hoping they can end this campaign on a high and looking forward to the next one.
