Charles Jackson
Former Premier League tactician Jesse Marsch was named coach of the Canadian men’s national team on Monday. The American joins Canada Soccer in time for June’s Copa América on American soil, with a contract that will keep him in charge through the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Marsch’s first games in charge of Canada will be the June friendlies against the Netherlands and France, followed by the Copa América. Canada will face defending champions Argentina in the tournament’s opening match on June 20 in Atlanta before wrapping up their group stage campaign against Peru in Kansas City and Chile in Orlando.
This marks Marsch’s first managerial role since February 2023, when he was sacked by Leeds United after a year in charge and just before they were relegated from the Premier League. Since then, he has co-hosted the Call it whatever you want on the CBS Sports Golazo Network, which focuses on all things USMNT.
Marsch is one of the most high-profile American coaches in men’s football, with a spell at Red Bull Salzburg and time as an assistant at RB Leipzig raising his profile before moving to England. He began his coaching career as an assistant with the United States men’s national team and was part of the team that reached the round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup, then moved on to MLS appearances with CF Montreal and the New York Red Bulls. .
Marsch was in contention to become the USMNT head coach last year when US Soccer was interviewing candidates for the position. The federation opted to re-sign Gregg Berhalter after he led the team to the completion of the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup.
This marks the end of Canada’s months-long search for a new coach. John Herdman stepped down in August after a five-year stint in the role that included the 2022 World Cup, the first time Canada has qualified for the tournament in 36 years. Herdman maximized the potential of a young and talented team to qualify for Qatar, but exited the competition in the group stage with three defeats, while Canada were beaten seven to two in three games.
Exclusive funding from Canada Soccer
Marsch will officially be known as head coach of the MLS Canada men’s national team, a reference to the fact that the owners of the three Canadian MLS teams – Montreal, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps – have made philanthropic contributions to the program. Other private donors have also contributed as part of a major new giving program that will be available to all Canada Soccer national teams.
It is a notable development amid financial problems within the governing body. The last year and changes have been marked by a financial scandal at Canada Soccer that is ongoing and centers on an agreement they signed with a private company called Canada Soccer Business (CSB). The CSB has acquired the rights to sell Canada Soccer broadcasting and sponsorship rights from 2019 to 2027, all in exchange for an annual fee that rises to $2.56 million in 2027, according to TSN. Canada Soccer’s murky finances have led to budget cuts and restructuring in recent years and, as a result, labor disputes from both masculine and women’s teams ahead of their respective World Cups in 2022 and 2023.
The agreement between Canada Soccer and the CSB has also been the focus of hearings in Canada’s parliament, while the union representing women’s national team players took action against 15 former and current Canada Soccer board members regarding the agreement.
Herdman himself has criticized Canada Soccer’s financial constraints and argued that the federation is wasting its best generation of talent so soon after losing to the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League final last June.
“We have the best generation of players we have ever had and there are more to come,” he said, according to Sportsnet. “[But] We have to resolve this financially. We have to take winning a World Cup seriously. When you play at home you have a chance to win. You have a chance to reach the quarterfinals and then be on your way to winning. And we’re not serious. We brought a World Cup to our country and we didn’t take the possibility of winning it seriously.”
