March 21 – Canada have announced they are hosting a four-team friendly tournament this June at Toronto’s BMO Field. Played as two doubleheaders on June 7 and June 10, matches will complete four days before the Gold Cup kicks off.
The Canadians will play Ukraine and the Ivory Coast in a competition they are calling the Canadian Shield. New Zealand will also participate in the event,
Canada will open on June 7 against Ukraine. On June 10 Canada will meet the Ivory Coast.
The competition is designed to give the hosts additional competition in preparation for this summer’s Gold Cup as well as the 2026 World Cup, which Canada is co-hosting.
Toronto is scheduled to host six games at the 2026 World Cup and the tournament will serve as a test of the venue. Vancouver is staging seven World Cup games in 2026.
Ukraine are currently ranked 25th in the world compared to Canada’s 31st, while Ivory Coast is ranked 46. New Zealand are ranked at 89.
Canada has played Ukraine once before, drawing 2-2 in Kyiv in 2010. The Canadians have never played Ivory Coast.
“The Ukrainian community in Canada has always supported our national team worldwide and now it is our turn to visit them,” said Andriy Shevchenko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Football. “Canada is a strong partner of Ukraine and we are pleased to accept this invitation.”
The Canadians said they hoped the competition would become an annual event.
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