World Cup 2022 live updates: Alphonso Davies, Canada finish Qatar trip against Morocco

The Canadian men’s national team has one more match to play at the World Cup — the grandest stage in soccer. After losses to Belgium and Croatia, Canada is eliminated from contention but hopes to make history against Morocco with a win or draw.

From the stadium in Qatar to watch parties in Toronto, join the Star for Canada vs. Morocco:

8:12 a.m.: Clearly, there is no such thing as a dead rubber in John Herdman’s world. “Tomorrow is a real opportunity for our players and our country to keep stepping forward,” the Canada manager said in a focused and passionate appearance on the eve of Canada’s final outing in Qatar on Thursday.

It is opponent Morocco that has the most at stake at Al Thumama Stadiu. The Africans are one point clear of the disappointing Belgians for Group F’s second place and a spot in the knockout stages.

Canada will be coming home once the lights go out but Herdman is desperately seeking another slice of history before they do. A first Canadian World Cup goal is on the board. Now the focus is either a point or a win. He and his players are adamant that they can, and will, deliver. Here’s how they can …

Keys to victory from Joe Callaghan: How can Canada get its first World Cup points? Make the most of Morocco’s nervous moments

7:32 a.m.: This group of seven from Toronto snagged seven tickets to the penultimate and final matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

A couple of months ago, Will Ramjass reached out to six friends with an adventurous and ambitious proposition: If we can get tickets, are you all up for it?

To his pleasant surprise, they all were.

Read the full story here: Seven Toronto soccer fans pay $9 K to see the last FIFA World Cup game live in Qatar

7:16 a.m.: Members of Montreal’s Moroccan community are packing bars and cafés across the city today for the Canada-Morocco match at the World Cup in Qatar.

The excitement will be particularly palpable in “Little Maghreb,” a district north of downtown where immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia have been moving to since the 1990s.

Canada is playing for pride today after the team lost to Croatia on Sunday and was eliminated from the knockout round.

But Morocco — which is making its sixth appearance at the World Cup — is in a strong position to make it to the knockout stage.

Read the full story here: Montreal’s Moroccans cheering both teams in today’s World Cup match

7:05 a.m.: When your tournament is all but over, it becomes all too easy to start thinking about what you’ll remember. Canada still has a match to play, but it’s become accounting; Croatia saw to that. The 4-1 loss to the Croats killed Canada’s hopes of escaping Group F, and a small humiliation. You can explain why. When you have no midfielders against perhaps the best midfield in the world, bad things happen. But they happened, is the point.

In the immediate aftermath of elimination, players and the coach tried to accentuate the positives: Canada’s men scored a goal at the World Cup, they played a good first 25 minutes, they still have a fierce Morocco team to play.

So, why does the Morocco match matter? Read Bruce Arthur’s column: How Canada remembers FIFA World Cup 2022 is a mixed bag, so the Morocco match matters

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