Why is Alphonso Davies benched for South Africa vs Canada FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match?

The 25-year-old did not appear in any of the group stage games.

For the round of 32, the Canada men’s national soccer team will be locking horns with the South Africa national football team. This 2026 FIFA World Cup clash is taking place at the Los Angeles Stadium.

The Jesse Marsch-led side has performed during the group stage of the mega tournament this year. They secured a 1-1 draw against Bosnia & Herzegovina in their opening game. Les Rouges then secured a dominating 6-0 win against Qatar in their second group stage outing. It was a top-of-the-line performance by Canada and also their biggest win at the FIFA World Cup.

In their third and final group stage outing, the Canada men’s national soccer team were handed a 1-2 loss at the hands of Switzerland. Jesse Marsch’s men did put up a strong fight, but it was not enough for them to stand strong against the European nation.

Also Read: South Africa vs Canada: All-time head-to-head record ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

Why is Alphonso Davies benched against South Africa?

The Bayern Munich left-back has not been a part of Canada’s playing XI in any of their group stage games at the FIFA World Cup 2026. He continues to be a part of the bench due to his ongoing recovery from lingering hamstring injury and might come in as a substitute for their round of 32 outing against South Africa.

Alphonso Davies has played an important role in the squad on the left flank for the Canada men’s national soccer team over the years, but in the ongoing campaign, Les Rouges have performed well without their start player.

Jonathan David became the first Canadian to score a hat-trick on the grandest stage of them all. He scored three goals against Qatar in their second group stage game to engrave his name in the history books.

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