Canada's Alphonso Davies says playing in World Cup opener still possible

Canadian star Alphonso Davies said he is still hopeful of being fit in time to play in the team's World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12.

The 25-year-old Bayern Munich left-back has been sidelined since suffering a left hamstring injury in the Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain on May 6.

Canada and Bayern worked together on a recovery plan for Davies, who reported late to the national team on Sunday.

"The first game is coming up pretty quickly," Davies told reporters during an unplanned media session on Wednesday. "The thing we talked about—me, the coach, and the people that were in [the meeting regarding his fitness]—I think we understand how important the first game is. But we understand recovery is always an important thing. If I'm recovering as well as possible, let's see. If not, then there's no need to rush; just keep continuing the recovery."

Pressed on whether he believes he can be fit in time to play on June 12, Davies said, "Anything is possible in life. For me, it's all depending on how the recovery is going, how these next few days or this week leading up to the game goes."

Davies has scored 15 goals in 58 career caps with Canada, including the country's first-ever goal at a World Cup during the 2022 tournament in Qatar. He is also a two-time Concacaf Player of the Year (2021, 2022).

However, he has not played for Canada since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the Nations League Finals in March 2025. Davies' agent and Bayern Munich later questioned how Canada Soccer handled his post-surgery recovery.

The hamstring issue is the most recent of multiple injuries since the ACL tear, but head coach Jesse Marsch still included the star on his 26-man World Cup roster announced last week.

This time around, both sides worked together to devise a recovery plan, and Davies trained on his own during Wednesday's session in Montreal.

"Mentally, it was very draining, suffering these injuries," Davies said, adding that he has doubted at times whether he would be available to play in the World Cup. "I was going into a hole where I was doubting myself, but I had that time off and I thought about why I'm doing this and how important this is to me."

Co-host Canada is in Group B and will also play Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24, with both matches taking place in Vancouver. LAFC midfielder Stephen Eustaquio will step in to captain the side while Davies focuses on his fitness.

– Field Level Media / Reuters