Alphonso Davies rejoins Canada squad for Nations League quarterfinal in Guatemala

Captain Alphonso Davies is back with Canada for its first competitive match since the World Cup, a Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal opener against Guatemala on Friday night. The Bayern Munich left back returned to national team training Tuesday in Cancún, Mexico, after missing Canada’s fall friendlies.

Friday’s first leg kicks off at 9 p.m. ET at Estadio Manuel Felipe Carrera in Guatemala City. The teams play the return leg at 8 p.m. ET Monday at BMO Field in Toronto. The aggregate winner advances to the Nations League finals in March and qualifies directly for the 2027 Gold Cup.

Davies, 26, appeared in one match at this summer’s World Cup while recovering from a hamstring injury. Canada earned its first World Cup win and reached the round of 16 for the first time before losing 3-0 to Morocco. Coach Jesse Marsch told reporters Tuesday that Davies was back at full strength.

“What a great boost for us as a team,” Marsch said, according to The Canadian Press.

Guatemala eliminated Canada in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Gold Cup, winning 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Jonathan David put Canada ahead from the penalty spot in regulation, but Guatemala equalized in the second half after Canada went down to 10 men.

Guatemala reached its first Nations League quarterfinal by winning its group with two wins, a draw and a loss. It conceded only three goals in four group matches. William Fajardo scored three times, all in a 6-0 win over El Salvador. Canada finished third in the previous Nations League, beating the United States 2-1 in the third-place match.