Jesse Marsch was convinced he would be named the next manager of the United States men's national team. That call never came — and now the American coach has channelled his frustration into a singular mission: leading Canada at a home World Cup.

The rejection stung. By all accounts, Marsch considered himself the frontrunner for the USMNT position, only to watch the federation look elsewhere. Rather than dwell on the slight, he accepted the challenge of taking charge of Canada's national team and has since thrown himself into the job with relentless drive.

A point to prove on home soil

The stakes could hardly be higher. Canada are co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, meaning Marsch will guide his adopted nation in front of home crowds on the biggest stage in football — a prospect that carries its own particular edge given how events unfolded with his former target.

For Marsch, the tournament represents far more than a coaching assignment. It is an opportunity to demonstrate that the USMNT's decision to pass on him was a mistake — and to do so in the most public arena imaginable, on the same continent, in the same competition, potentially against the very nation that turned him away.

Canada's rising ambitions

Canada arrive at this World Cup on the back of a historic era for the programme. The country qualified for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar — their first appearance since 1986 — signalling a genuine shift in the nation's footballing identity. Marsch now inherits a squad with momentum, expectation, and the rare advantage of competing on familiar ground.

Whether he can silence his doubters and outshine the federation that overlooked him remains to be seen. But few coaches enter a World Cup cycle carrying the kind of personal motivation that Jesse Marsch brings to Canada's campaign.