The shocking truth about Canada’s MLS obsession and what it means | OneFootball

The Concacaf Nations League is in its last stage, and Canada is just two wins from lifting a record-breaking trophy. The team will face Mexico in the semis under Jesse Marsch's management, and a potential final with the United States or Panama is already on the schedule. But aside from the championship fight, there is one thing that sticks out: MLS is better represented than ever before in the Canadian squad.

Of the 23 players who have been called up, a minimum of eight currently play in MLS, and a further eight have utilized the league en route. That is to say, MLS is not simply a reservoir of support, it is a foundation for this team. And that is no coincidence. The league has been creating itself as an obligatory pit stop for Canadians on the way up, and this call-up begins that trend in motion.

MLS in the heart of Canada's project

MLS has been a hotbed for CANMNT, and Marsch has taken fullest advantage of that reality in assembling his squad. Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville SC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), and Richie Laryea (Toronto FC) are the future and present of the national team, while Maxime Crépeau (Portland Timbers) and Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC) provide stability in defense.

And. That's not all. Promising youngsters like Ali Ahmed (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) and Tani Oluwaseyi (Minnesota United FC) have also found their way into the squad, and they're an indication of how MLS continues to churn out players ready to storm the international scene.

Interestingly, though, MLS' reach extends far beyond those still playing at the league level. Of those players currently competing outside of North America, several are products of the league. At the head of the list, naturally, is Alphonso Davies, but other names like Cyle Larin (former Orlando City), Tajon Buchanan (former New England Revolution), and Ismäel Koné (former CF Montréal) also started through the league on their way to rising levels.

The league has been doing an invaluable service in player development, preparing the players for increasingly tougher tests, whether it be in European soccer or even the national team itself.

Is MLS the ticket to Canada's success?

If Canada is going to be a hero in the Concacaf Nations League and the 2026 World Cup, MLS will have a decisive influence on this. The growth of the league has allowed Canadian soccer to progress very rapidly, with a competitive system and an opportunity for young players to come of age without needing to leave North America early.

This already makes a massive difference in the competitiveness of the national team. These days, CANMNT no longer needs to depend just on players from Europe to battle for championships. The MLS-based nucleus has quality sufficient to hold its own with any team in the region.

And this dependence on MLS can be seen another way as well: what if the league hadn't altered so much in the past few years? Would there be sufficient with which to assemble a competitive squad in Canada? It is hard to imagine a good scenario without the structure and support of MLS.

The impact of the league on the national team is also evident in the statistics. As a group, MLS players on this list have 222 collective national team appearances. What that implies is, these individuals are not only making room at the moment, they are part of the team's fabric over years.

And the worth of MLS as a proving ground cannot be emphasized enough. As the league continues to expand and its visibility grows, players from Canada stand to have more opportunity to emerge and be recognized by European clubs.