As we approach the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, just as Atlético Ottawa claimed the Canadian Premier League championship for its first time, attention now turns to the Canadian men’s national soccer team.
As we approach the end of the 2025 Major League Soccer season, just as Atlético Ottawa claimed the Canadian Premier League championship for its first time, attention now turns to the Canadian men's national soccer team.
Canada has already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, as it is one of the three host nations for soccer’s biggest show next summer. It takes the heat off Les Rouges ahead of some friendly matches, as the other North American outfits battled it out for a place at World Cup 2026.
So, who do Canada have to prepare for this November, and what should we expect from Jonathan David and co.?
BetVictor lists the odds for this matchup as quite balanced, with the visiting side holding a slight edge when Ecuador travel to BMO Field in Ontario. For Canadian bettors, BetVictor continues to be one of the go-to platforms for competitive soccer odds and market depth. If you’re interested in exploring their latest offers, you can find detailed information about the BetVictor bonus code available in Canada, including how new users can claim up to a $300 first-bet safety net.
This mainly comes due to the form Ecuador has shown over the past few years, having qualified for next year's World Cup in sensational style. Ecuador managed to finish second in the CONMEBOL qualifiers to the reigning world champions, Argentina, as La Tri concluded with eight wins, eight ties and just two defeats from 18 games.
In the CONMEBOL qualifiers, Ecuador even managed to finish above the five-time world champions Brazil by one point and a better goals difference, as it conceded only five goals and scored 14 of its own – the five goals let in from the 18 outings was by far the best defensive record in the South American qualifiers.
Stunningly, Ecuador is unbeaten in two years, beginning this run with a 4-0 win over Bolivia back in November 2024. La Tri would then go on to defeat Venezuela and even Argentina, while tying with Brazil, Chile and Paraguay, all of which were, incredibly, 0-0 ties.
A further 1-1 tie with the USMNT and Mexico happened last month, putting Ecuador as one of the most in-form nations in South America right now.
You should expect a stern and well-drilled Ecuadorian defense. Just three goals conceded from the eight matches in 2025 put Ecuador as the best defensive South American soccer nation this calendar year.
Moises Caicedo in defensive midfield is continuing to prove himself as one of the English Premier League's best, and with the likes of Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain and Piero Hincapie of Arsenal behind him, it's clear to see why Ecuador are such a spectacular defensive unit.
For Canada to win, it has to see David and other Canadian offensive players at their very best. Cyle Larin of Feyenoord is also in the squad once more, as he looks to score his 31st goal for Canada from just 88 caps.
Unfortunately for The Reds, they are without their captain and Bayern Munich superstar, Alphonso Davis, as he continues to fight back from his brutal ACL injury sustained in February.
On the other hand to the excellence from the likes of David, the Juventus striker has struggled since his move to Italy in the summer. David has scored only one goal from 14 appearances so far with Juventus, following on from his sensational 109 goals in 232 matches for Lille.
Canada will host Ecuador at the BMO Field on November 11, with the kickoff scheduled for 7:30 ET.
As has been the case in the 96-year history of the FIFA World Cup, Venezuela has failed to qualify for soccer's biggest stage once again.
It means it has to wait at least another four years before a potential World Cup debut, following on from just four wins and a dismal eight losses from the 18 matches. Worse yet, only Bolivia (35) conceded more goals than Venezuela, as it let in 28 and scored only 18 of its own in the CONMEBOL qualifiers.
In fact, Venezuela is one of the most out-of-form nations in South American soccer in 2025, losing six of its eight matches this year. This puts La Vinotinto on a current losing streak of four games, suffering defeats to Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, and Argentina once more back in October. During this period, Venezuela has let in an alarming 12 goals and scored only three times – all three of those goals came in the 6-3 loss to Colombia in September.
It has managed to defeat Peru and Bolivia 1-0 and 2-0, respectively, in 2025. This also meant Venezuela put together back-to-back shutouts for only the second time in two years. Regardless, it is massively struggling once again, and Canadian fans should be confident of a comfortable win against Venezuela.
This will be the first match between the two in 14 months, as the 90 minutes in 2024 ended in a 1-1 tie before Canada won 4-3 in a penalty shootout.
In truth, Venezuela should not pose a threat at all. Its superstar players, Josef Martinez and Solomon Rondon, have not made the squad, while captain Tomas Rincon is also not available for selection. This means there is, stunningly, just four goals from the current flock of players for the games against Australia and Canada for Venezuela this November.
Canada's head coach, Jesse Marsch, could use this as an opportunity to field some players who don't usually make the starting XI, perhaps allowing the likes of Promise David to get a few more goals after a great start to the 2025/26 Belgian Pro League season with Union Saint-Gilloise.
Other names like Nathan Saliba and Jayden Nelson could also be in with a shout at playing, with only 30 caps between the two so far. Stephen Eustaquio – the vice-captain – will also most likely wear the armband, given the absence of captain Davies from this camp.
You can watch Canada take on Venezuela at the Chase Stadium in Florida.
