Canada Soccer announces Provisional List for Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying

Canada Soccer have published their 50-player Provisional List ahead of the upcoming Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying that will qualify only two nations to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The upcoming eight-nation tournament will take place from 18-30 March 2021 in Guadalajara, JA, Mexico.

Starting 19 March, Canada will face El Salvador, Haiti (22 March) and Honduras (25 March) in Group B of the 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship. From the group phase, the top-two nations advance to the Concacaf Semifinals on Sunday 28 March (against either Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico or USA). The two nations that win their Concacaf Semifinals qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and advance to the Concacaf Final on Tuesday 30 March.

As an all-in-one qualifying campaign with both a pre-camp and international match that falls just outside the FIFA window, several players may not be eligible for the official competition because they will not be released by their professional clubs. Nations will not have an opportunity to replace players once the squad is submitted (with the exception of injuries before 19 March).

Building on the positive momentum from the Men’s National Team Program, Canada will challenge their rivals for one of two Concacaf spots up for grabs to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Only players born 1997 or later are eligible for the qualifying tournament, whereas the Olympic Games may feature up to three overage players. Unlike previous qualifying campaigns, nations must name 17 outfield players (instead of 18) and three goalkeepers.

Different than the last tournament in 2015, only two (not three) nations advance beyond Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying, so the Concacaf Semifinals on 30 March will be Canada’s one-and-only opportunity to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Canada have reached the Concacaf Semifinals in each of the last three cycles (2008, 2012, 2015), but have not qualified for the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament since Los Angeles 1984 when they reached the Quarterfinals (which at the time featured Canada’s full Men’s National Team). That same 1984 Canadian team qualified for the FIFA World Cup just a year later for Mexico 1986.

Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying is an important next step for Canada’s young players on their journey to the Men’s National Team. Through an aligned Men’s National Team Program, several of Canada’s young professional stars have already gained valuable experience with the Men’s National Team over the past few years. From Canada Soccer’s 50-player Provisional List for the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship, 19 of them have been called into Men’s National Team camps and 16 of them have one or more international “A” appearances on their record.

MEN’S OLYMPIC FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
The quadrennial Men’s Olympic Football Tournament runs 23 July to 8 August in six venues across Japan. Including two nations from Concacaf, the Tokyo 2020 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament will feature 16 nations from around the world.

Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL Program channels our nation’s exceptional players into the best soccer environments. The Canada Soccer Pathway works in collaboration with our provincial and territory partners as well as the professional clubs and academies. For Canada’s elite players, the program emphasizes player development on the pathway to representing Canada’s Men’s National Team in international soccer.

In 2019, Canada reached the Quarter-finals of back-to-back Concacaf Gold Cups for the first time since 2009 and finished second in their group of the inaugural Concacaf Nations League A (tied on points with USA, but second on goals difference). Along with a historic 2:0 victory over USA in Toronto, Canada also qualified for the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup and the next season of Concacaf Nations League A. At the youth level, Canada had top-four finishes at the Concacaf Men’s Under-17 Championship (after eliminating Costa Rica) and Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship (after eliminating Mexico).

Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Youth Teams have won two CONCACAF titles: both the 1986 and 1996 CONCACAF Men’s Youth Championships. Canada have now qualified for 15 FIFA men’s youth tournaments: eight editions of the FIFA U-20 World Cup and seven editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Canada most recently qualified for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019.