Alphonso Davies stood before the FIFA Congress in Russia in 2018 and shared his journey from refugee to Canadian citizen, helping bolster Canada’s bid to co-host the World Cup.

Eight years later, the men’s national team captain is still clinging to the possibility of taking the pitch for the first-ever men’s World Cup match on Canadian soil, despite a string of injuries that have threatened that dream.

Davies explained in an unplanned media session Wednesday that he wouldn’t completely rule himself out of the country’s tournament opener on June 12 in Toronto, even if all signs point to him needing more time to recover from a hamstring ailment.

“The first game is coming up pretty quickly,” he said following a training session in Montreal. “We understand how important the first game is, but we understand recovery is always an important thing. If I’m recovering as good as possible, let’s see. If not, then there’s no need to rush. Just keep continuing the recovery.”

“Anything is possible in life,” the star wingback for Bayern Munich added. “For me, it’s [all] depending on how the recovery is going, how these next few days or this week leading up to the game goes.”

The comments came a day after a video surfaced of Davies saying the first game of the tournament “won’t be possible” in an interview on “The Sid Seixeiro Show,” creating a stir on social media.

Davies trained on his own Wednesday as the national team continued preparations for the global showcase, jogging away from the main group and going through stretching exercises with a trainer at CF Montreal’s practice facility.

Though named to Canada’s 26-player roster, Davies’s status for the World Cup has been in doubt since he injured his left hamstring in Bayern Munich’s Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain in early May.

The setback was the third injury for Davies since returning Dec. 8 from a 260-day layoff due to a torn ACL in his right knee suffered during Nations League play against the United States in March 2025.

The 25-year-old from Edmonton, born to Liberian parents in a refugee camp in Ghana, hasn’t played for Canada since.

“Mentally, it was very draining, suffering these injuries,” he said. “I was going into a hole where I was doubting myself, but I had that time off, and I thought about why I’m doing this and how important this is to me.

“It was devastating. When the injuries happen, you start doing the mathematics for how long you are going to be out. It was a doubt in my head, for sure. I was sad, being a 17-year-old kid going to Russia and getting this World Cup to our country and not being able to participate, it dawned on me.

“But yet again, I know how strong my body is, and I know how strong the individuals around me [are], and they’ll push me to come back as safely as possible.”

Davies joined midfielder Jacob Shaffelburg on return-to-play protocols as Canada continues to manage a growing list of injuries. Defenders Moise Bombito and Alfie Jones, meanwhile, joined midfielder Ali Ahmed in limited training.

‘So good’ to have Davies back

Mathieu Choiniere, a midfielder for Los Angeles FC, said having Davies back is a welcome sight even if he’s training alone.

“It’s so good to have him back. It’s been a while, but now we have him, and he brings us energy,” Choiniere said. “Just his personality is so good to have in the group. He brings us the energy and good vibes and we all know his quality. When he’s gonna play, he’s going to help us a lot.”

After opening camp in Charlotte, N.C., and winning a friendly 2-0 over Uzbekistan in Edmonton, 30th-ranked Canada is practising in Montreal ahead of its final exhibition match against No. 59 Ireland at Stade Saputo on Friday.

The tournament co-hosts open the World Cup against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on June 12 before heading to Vancouver for group-stage matches against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

Whether Davies, a Champions League winner and the face of Canada’s program, suits up remains to be seen.

“If I’m not there on the 12th, I’ll be there with the guys — maybe not on the pitch, but off the pitch,” he said. “I’ll give them the words of encouragement that they need, but they all understand how important the World Cup is in general. You know, there’s not much I can say to motivate them more.”

“For me, there’s no pressure,” he added. “Football is a 26-man game; we count on everybody on the team. The last 12 months have been up and down, up and down, but that’s part of the game. I have to stay focused and have a strong mentality and keep pushing.”