Canada rout Qatar 6-0 for maiden FIFA World Cup win
What's the story
Team Canada has registered its first-ever victory at a FIFA World Cup with an emphatic 6-0 win over Qatar in the Group B match at the BC Place Vancouver. The match witnessed Jonathan David's stunning hat-trick and two red cards for the latter, leaving them with just nine players on the field. Despite the injury scare to midfielder Ismael Kone, Canada's dominant performance has put them at the top of Group B with four points from two matches.
Match highlights
Qatar reduced to 10 men in 1st half
Canada started aggressively, with Cyle Larin scoring the opening goal in the 16th minute. The match took a turn when Qatar was reduced to 10 men after Homam El Amin's foul on Tajon Buchanan. David doubled Canada's lead in the first half, leaving Qatar with an uphill battle. Kone's injury after a challenge from Assim Madibo briefly overshadowed Canada's celebrations, but Nathan Saliba extended their lead with a well-taken free kick.
Final moments
David's hat-trick seals emphatic victory for Canada
Qatar's woes worsened when Mohammad Mannai scored an own goal. David completed his hat-trick in stoppage time, capping off Canada's emphatic victory. Coach Jesse Marsch celebrated with the home supporters at the final whistle, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was also present to support his team. Despite Kone's injury scare, Marsch assured fans that he would receive good medical attention and recover soon.
Match stats
Here are the match stats
From 31 attempts, Canada recorded 10 shots on target. Qatar made just a couple of attempts but did not manage a single strike on target. The winning side had a 78% ball possession in the high-voltage game. They completed 565 passes with a brilliant 93% accuracy. Qatar's passes count was 137. Their accuracy was 68%.
Landmarks
Here are the key milestones
As per Opta, Canada made 97 touches in the attacking box against Qatar, 26 more than any other team in a World Cup match on record (since 1966 - Germany 71 vs. Costa Rica in 2022). Canada also became the first team from outside of Europe and South America to score five or more goals in a World Cup match. Canada's eight shots on target through half-time against Qatar were the most in the first half of a World Cup match since Romania in 1994 vs. Argentina (also eight).