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Canada and Qatar will lock horns in their second World Cup game on Thursday, when they jostle for top spot in Group B at BC Place in Canada.
The Canadian hosts fought back to earn a point against Bosnia-Herzegovina on June 12, with the nation now second with one point, while third-placed Qatar also have one point following their 1-1 stalemate with Switzerland on June 13.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions, as well as our best World Cup betting offers.
Canada vs Qatar key stats
- Canada have won their last four matches in Vancouver by an aggregate scoreline of 17-2.
- Qatar produced one open-play shot between the third and 89th minutes against Switzerland.
- Canada have kept six clean sheets in their last nine matches.
- The Canadians produced double the number of shots inside the box as Bosnia-Herzegovina did on June 12 (10 vs 5).
- Two Swiss players managed to shoot at least four times against Qatar.
Canada vs Qatar preview: History in the making for Canada?
| Canada | vs | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
| 30th | FIFA Ranking | 56th |
| Atiba Hutchinson (104) | Most Caps | Hassan Al-Haydos (187) |
| Jonathan David (39) | Most Goals | Almoez Ali (60) |
| 969 | Total Caps | 1,432 |
| 134 | Total Goals | 209 |
| 1 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
Canada managed to claim their first ever point at the World Cup last time out, with their draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina ending a streak of six consecutive defeats at the tournament.
In fact, one more goal would equal their goal tally from their prior two World Cups, but it would be understandable if fans felt like they should have scored more than once in their group opener.
Les Rouges routinely threatened the Bosnian-Herzegovinian penalty area, and had striker Jonathan David shown more composure in the final third, perhaps the outcome of the match would have been different.
Boss Jesse Marsch will know that his side can guarantee a top-three finish with a win on Thursday, and that would be significant considering eight third-placed nations will advance into the knockouts.
While the co-hosts need no more incentive to try to finish top of Group B, the winner of the group will play their round of 32 and round of 16 ties in Vancouver, and having home support could make all the difference ahead of a potentially historic campaign.
Left-back Alphonso Davies is unlikely to be fit for his nation's second group game, but he is closing in on a return ahead of their final fixture against Switzerland.
To suggest that Qatar rode their luck against Switzerland would be an understatement considering they only produced eight touches in the box compared to their opponents' 42.
The Maroon One are embarking on their second ever World Cup campaign having hosted the 2022 edition of the competition, and they have already bettered the zero points that they mustered that year.
They also only scored one goal in 2022 while conceding seven times, but the nation deserve credit for improving considerably on the pitch since then, as shown by the fact they became Asian Cup champions in 2023.
Qatar have only met Canada once, and they will not have fond memories of that clash considering they were beaten 2-0 in September 2022.
Manager Julen Lopetegui does not boast the most impressive international record given he has won two, drawn five and lost seven of his 14 games as head coach.
Canada vs Qatar form guide & betting tips
| Canada | vs | Qatar |
|---|---|---|
DDWDD |
Form | DLLDD |
| 6 | Goals For | 2 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 6 |
D |
World Cup | D |
Whispers predicts: Canada 2-0 Qatar
Backed by a home crowd, it is difficult to see anything other than a Canadian win, with the betting companies pricing a Canada triumph at 2/7.
Not only have the co-hosts proven to be strong defensively, but Qatar also produced concerningly little in the final third against Switzerland, so backing Canada to Keep a Clean Sheet at 8/13 (1.62) makes sense.
Considering the Canadians managed to routinely produce shots in their World Cup opener, a sensible bet would be for Canada to Score Over 1.5 Goals, a prediction priced at 4/9 (1.44) by the bookmakers.
Qatar faced an enormous number of efforts against Switzerland, and they may have to defend for large periods yet again, so there could be value in predicting Over 3.5 Shots for Jonathan David at 4/5 (1.8).
> Canada to keep a clean sheet at 8/13 (1.62) | Likelihood: Possible
> Canada to Score Over at 1.5 Goals 4/9 (1.44) | Likelihood: Probable
> Over 3.5 Shots for Jonathan David at 4/5 (1.8) | Likelihood: Possible