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TORONTO — Once again, Canada has been watching the World Cup from the sidelines.

The Canadian men, currently ranked 79th in the world, have qualified just once for the World Cup, in 1986 when they lost to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union and exited without scoring a goal.

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Mexico (16 World Cup appearances) and the U.S. (10) have been the traditional heavyweights in CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean. Costa Rica (five), Honduras (three) and El Salvador (two) are the only other CONCACAF teams to make the World Cup finals more than once.

With Canada co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside Mexico and the U.S., an automatic berth is likely, though still unconfirmed. Expansion to a 48-team field will also help Canada’s chances in 2026 and beyond.

But the Canadian Soccer Association wants to get in via the front door in future tournaments, including 2022. And there is new blood in the program, currently under renovation by men’s coach John Herdman, who switched over from the women’s side in January.