Canadian men look for first win in ninth appearance at FIFA U-17 World Cup

Headed to its ninth FIFA U-17 World Cup, Canada is looking for its first-ever win. But coach Mike Vitulano has high hopes this time at the expanded 48-team tournament in Qatar.

The Canadian men open Group K play against tournament newcomer Uganda on Nov. 5 before facing France on Nov. 8 and Chile on Nov. 11 with all three games at the Aspire Zone Sports Complex in Al Rayyan.

“We want to be difficult to play against … Hopefully we make a lot people proud, not only by the results we’re chasing and we’re ambitious for but also in the way we play and the way we showcase our young players,” said Vitulano.

France won the U-17 title in 2001, was runner-up last time out in 2023 and finished third in 2019. Chile finished third in 1993.

“We’re not scared of any of these opponents but they are top opponents,” said Vitulano.

“We’re looking forward to this challenge,” he added. “And I think the boys feel like they can take on these top-tier opponents and really do well.”

Part of the reason for that optimism is the fact that Canada Soccer has doubled its youth program budget this year, which has allowed for Vitulano to have more time with his team.

Canada is slated to open a pre-tournament camp in Dubai on Friday with a closed-door friendly against defending U-17 champion Germany on Oct. 30 before heading to Qatar where the tournament runs Nov. 3 to 27.

The top two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-place finishers, will move on to the round of 32. The championship game will be staged at Khalifa International Stadium.

Canada’s record at the tournament is bleak.

The Canadian men qualified for eight of the 19 previous editions of the tournament but have yet to win a match with a 0-20-4 record. Canada has scored just 11 goals — one of which was an Argentine own goal — while conceding 70 at the FIFA U-17 tournament.

The young Canadians booked their ticket to the World Cup in February, topping their five-team qualifying group — featuring host Bermuda, Anguilla, Curaçao and Turks and Caicos — with a perfect 4-0-0 record. They outscored their opposition 28-2 with both goals conceded coming from the penalty spot.

The win was the sixth straight for the Canadian team, which won a pair of friendlies against Costa Rica and Mexico in November. That’s a record for consecutive victories by a Canadian men’s youth team, breaking the previous mark of five achieved multiple times since 1986, according to Canada Soccer.

The young Canadians have had a tougher time since, albeit against elite opposition.

In September in Spain, they lost to African champion Morocco (3-0), Asia champion Uzbekistan (6-5 in penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw) and England (3-2).

In June, also in Spain, they were beaten by Morocco (2-1) and Japan (4-1) and beat the U.S. (3-2 in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw).

But the scores don’t tell the whole tale. The Canadians, finishing a man down, led Uzbekistan 2-0 before losing a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw. Against England, Canada rallied from a 2-0 deficit only to lose 3-2.

Against Morocco, they faced star midfielder Abdellah Ouazane, who was linked to a transfer to Real Madrid before re-signing with Ajax Amsterdam.

Vitulano says his players know the opportunity that lies ahead in Qatar.

“These boys aren’t stupid. They know that this can change their careers for the rest of their lives,” he said. “It can take their journey to somewhere else because there’s tons of people watching these games. And there were tons of scouts at our England match. And after the England match, scouts and agents came up to some of our players because there were some really good performances.

“Well that attention gets even more magnified in a youth World Cup, especially at the Aspire Zone in Qatar where everyone’s playing at the same headquarters with seven, eight pitches around.”

But he said the players have to “make it about the we, not the me.”

“They know where we stand. But now I’m going to make sure that their actions don’t betray their words, They don’t get all flustered about the agents. So that’s a massive learning for me. Let’s not change who we are, let’s not change what we do.”

Twelve players on the Canadian roster are with Canadian MLS teams’ academies while two are with Canadian Premier League teams (Atletico Ottawa and York United).

Spain’s Pedri, Brazil’s Neymar and Alisson Becker, England’s Phil Foden and South Korea’s Son Heung-min are among the world stars who have taken part in the U-17 World Cup.

Canada Under-17 Roster (x- denotes alternates, who will travel with the team)

Goalkeepers: Milo Beimers, Belfast, Glentoran FC (Northern Ireland); Samsy Keita, Montreal, CF Montreal (MLS); Jonathan Ransom, Atlanta, Atlanta United (MLS).

Defenders: Richard Chukwu, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Ont., Toronto FC (MLS); William Daniels, Montreal, Leicester City (England); x-Sean Gormley, Fort Myers, Fla., Inter Miami (MLS); Stefan Kapor, Stoney Creek, Ont., Toronto FC (MLS); Sergei Kozlovskiy, Longueuil, Que., Atletico Ottawa (CPL); Josh-Duc Nteziryayo, Mascouche, Que., CF Montreal (MLS); Elijah Roche, Ottawa, Toronto FC (MLS).

Midfielders: Andre Ali-Gayapersad, Brampton, Ont., CF Damm (Spain); x-Antone Bossenberry, Toronto, Toronto FC (MLS); Sahil Deo, Port Coquitlam, B.C., Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Timothy Fortier, Toronto, Toronto FC (MLS); Kevin Khan, Toronto, Feyenoord (the Netherlands); Dylan Judelson, Darien, Conn., Orlando City SC (MLS); Aghilas Sadek, Longueuil, Que., CF Montreal (MLS); Johnny Selemani, Edmonton, Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Yuma Tsuji, Vancouver, Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS).

Forwards: Aidan Evans, London, England, Fulham (England); Owen Graham-Roache, Montreal; CF Montreal (MLS); Shola Jimoh, Brampton, Ont., York United (CPL); Van Parker, Las Vegas, Real Salt Lake (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2025.