Preview: Canada vs Chile - prediction, team news, lineups

For the first time this century, Chile will travel to Canada for an international friendly on Saturday at BMO Field in Toronto.

The teams last faced each other in the group stage of the 2024 Copa America, with that outing ending in a 0-0 draw and allowing Canada to advance into the knockout stage.

Match preview

Following a historic and successful World Cup campaign, Canada return to the international stage, hoping to build off their run to the last 16 this past summer.

Jesse Marsch’s men have three upcoming friendlies before they begin the next CONCACAF Nations League campaign as they are automatically through to the quarter-finals of that tournament.

They enter this match having lost two of their last three international outings, exiting the World Cup this summer against Morocco in the round of 16 (3-0).

That said, they will enter this contest having suffered just one defeat in their last eight international affairs on Canadian soil, losing 1-0 to Switzerland in their final group fixture at the 2026 World Cup.

It has been nearly three years since they last lost at BMO Field, when Jamaica edged them 3-2 in the Nations League quarter-finals, ousting them from the competition.

Les Rouges can stretch their unbeaten run against South American opposition to four matches with a win or draw this weekend, blanking Venezuela 2-0 in a November 2025 friendly in Fort Lauderdale.

After missing out on a third successive World Cup this past summer, Chile have had a lot of time to prepare for these upcoming friendlies as they aim to rebuild a team that was once a force in CONMEBOL.

Under Nicolas Cordova, the side that won consecutive Copa America crowns in 2015 and 2016 have lost just one of their last six internationals, defeating Congo 2-1 in June.

They have found the back of the net in five straight international outings, while conceding a goal or fewer in five of their last six games.

Chile have not lost a game to a CONCACAF nation this decade, crushing their last opponent from that region, Panama, 5-0 in a 2023 friendly.

In 2026, they have yet to lose a game when netting an opening half goal, doing so only once this year in a 4-2 victory over Cape Verde.

Saturday will mark the sixth time these teams square off, with La Roja unbeaten in those last three meetings, including a 2-1 win in their last visit to the Great White North in 1995, which won them the Canada Cup.

Canada Friendlies Form:

Canada Form (all competitions):

Chile Friendlies Form:

Chile Form (all competitions):

Team News

Canada Captain Alphonso Davies, who missed most of the World Cup through injury, will not be available as he is taking a delayed honeymoon, while their first-choice goalkeeper at the 2026 finals, Maxime Crepeau, is unavailable due to a personal matter.

At the same time Derek Corneliues sustained a lower-body injury in training and is unavailable, while Jeevan Badwal is dealing with a hamstring strain and Moise Bombito is recovering from tibia surgery.

Jonathan David, the nation’s record goalscorer, can surpass Paul Stalteri for fifth in all-time caps if he features in all three of their upcoming friendlies, while Richie Laryea can move beyond Milan Borjan for ninth if he plays this weekend.

The most notable omission from the Chile squad was Alexis Sanchez, the country’s record goalscorer, who currently plays in Canada for CF Montreal and was not called up as part of the generational overhaul.

Five Chileans will be seeking their first caps for the senior squad on Saturday, including Leandro Hernandez and Christian Bravo, who is not related to the former iconic Chilean goalkeeper Claudio, whom he idolized.

Benjamin Kuscevic will know BMO Field well as he plays there in MLS for Toronto, while Ben Brereton Diaz is the top Chilean goalscorer selected for this window with 10 strikes.

Canada possible starting lineup:

St. Clair; Sigur, Knight-Lebel, De Fougerolles, Laryea; Buchanan, Choiniere, Eustaquio, Shaffelburg; J. David, Larin

Chile possible starting lineup:

Vigouroux; Faundez, Kuscevic, Roman, Suazo; Mendez, Pizarro; Osorio, Cepeda, Diaz; Tapia

We say: Canada 1-1 Chile

The Canadians have been without some of their best players for a while, and although the talent pool is deep, we do not believe they will be as potent as we saw at times during the World Cup.

Chile have a good mix of players with potential who have shown consistency of late and could surprise the Canadians, who are well above them in the FIFA rankings.