Canada kicked off their 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign with a bang – and then some.
On a raucous Tuesday night at BC Place, the Canadian men’s national soccer team thrashed Honduras 6-0 in a commanding display of pace, power, and promise.
“Really proud about the team’s performance,” said assistant coach Mauro Biello. “It was a total team effort. Everybody came out with the right mentality, we played within our identity, and in the end we didn’t give them much. That’s who we want to be.”
The result launched Canada to the top of Group B in this year’s Gold Cup, with three points and a goal differential that could prove crucial down the line.
With El Salvador and Curacao drawing earlier in the day, Canada now controls its own fate heading into the next two group-stage matches in Houston.
But this was more than just a hot start to a tournament.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup – co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico – now just 359 days away, the countdown is real. The pressure is rising. And the push to find form, depth, and confidence has begun in earnest.
“Obviously, with the World Cup being on the horizon, that plays a part,” said Biello. “The hunger seems more than we’ve ever seen. The players are pushing themselves and each other every day. It’s exciting to see that come together on the pitch.”
It certainly did on Tuesday.
Even without injured star Alphonso Davies, Canada came out flying.
The opener came in the 27th minute through a silky give-and-go between captain Jonathan David and 21-year-old midfielder Niko Sigur.
After winning possession and driving forward, Sigur found David at the top of the box and immediately bolted behind the back line.
David returned the favour with a clever slip pass, and Sigur calmly slotted it home past Honduras keeper Edrick Menjívar.
The crowd was still buzzing when Canada doubled the lead in stoppage time – and did it in style.
Tani Oluwaseyi, the energetic forward from Minnesota United, made magic out of nothing.
Sprinting onto a perfectly weighted pass from Richie Laryea, Oluwaseyi took one touch and smashed a curling left-footed strike from an impossible angle into the top-right corner.
“Yeah, Tanny brings an energy,” said Biello. “He’s always stretching that backline, super aggressive without the ball, and then he gets rewarded for that work.”
Up 2-0 at half, Canada had dominated 65 per cent of possession and hadn’t allowed a single Honduras shot.
Three minutes into the second half, they picked up right where they left off.
Tajon Buchanan raced in behind the back line and lashed a shot into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.
To their credit, Honduras briefly responded with their best spell of the match, firing three quick attempts at Canadian keeper Dayne St. Clair.
But the Minnesota shot-stopper stood tall, turning aside each one, including a pair of point-blank chances.
And then, Canada pressed the gas pedal again.
Buchanan tapped in his second in the 65th minute after a scramble off a corner.
Just 10 minutes later, substitute Promise Akinpelu made it 5-0 with his first touch of the match, scoring just three minutes after stepping onto the pitch.
“Promise is two for two now,” said Biello. “He’s continuing the form he had at club level. There’s a lot of potential there.”
The exclamation point came in the 80th minute.
Nathan Saliba, 21 years old and still building his international resume, ripped a curving blast from outside the box that beat Menjívar clean and sent the 24,286 fans at BC Place into full celebration mode.
Match highlights // faits saillants
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 18, 2025
🇨🇦 6 - 0 🇭🇳#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/MijWLmtgpq
It was the kind of total team performance that coaching staffs dream about.
“Tonight was a perfect example of some of the good young players in this country,” said Biello. “We wanted to give them opportunity and help them develop. Some guys only had a handful of caps, and they put in that kind of performance? That’s exciting. That’s the future.”
It wasn’t just the starters. Canada’s depth was on full display, with fresh legs maintaining pressure and finishing chances in the second half.
“To have that depth and come in and score – it’s only going to help this team and push others to perform,” Biello added.
Canada now turns its attention to Curacao on Saturday, June 21, followed by El Salvador on June 24.
A win this weekend would lock in a top-two finish and a ticket to the quarter-finals, which begin June 28.
And while Gold Cup glory is the focus for now, every minute of this tournament doubles as preparation for what’s coming next summer.
“Yeah, when Jesse [Marsch] came in, he brought an aggressive mentality and set certain standards,” said Biello. “We’ve added a lot of depth in this team and now you see the potential starting to come out. We’re on our way.”
The surface underfoot didn’t hurt either.
“The grass was amazing,” Biello said. “They did a really good job. It looks good for next year when the World Cup comes around. This will be a great stadium with a great playing surface.”
If Tuesday was any indication, it might be more than that – it could be the start of something big.
