Canada’s run to the round of 16 at the World Cup [gift link] has drawn the attention of FIFA’s technical study group.
The panel features a who’s who of football talent under the guidance of Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development and former Arsenal manager.
The group’s findings at the conclusion of the tournament’s group stage were released Monday at a news conference in Miami.
Canadian Luc de Fougerolles topped the FIFA power rankings for defenders with a score of 7.4 out of 10, ahead of Spain’s Rodri and Aymeric Laporte, both at 7.3. Fellow Canadian Derek Cornelius was ninth at 7.1.
The rankings, new to the World Cup, are considered a measure of match and tournament performance with players receiving a score for each outing and for their overall performance in the tournament….
When it comes to bench strength, the Canadian men were tied for second with Switzerland and Germany with three goals from substitutes. Senegal topped the list with four….
Jesse Marsch’s aggressive pressing style and the fact that the Canadian men have faced several teams playing a low defensive block is shown by the fact that Canada led the tournament in highest defensive line during the group stage.
Canada was also among the leaders in average ball recovery time.
In other words, the Canadians are playing high up the field in pressing their opponent – and using the press to win the ball back quickly….

And this makes Marsch a great coach:

More World Cup Stories

accidentally went to work at a coffee shop that all the Morocco fans were at and instead of work they fed me dinner and taught us all the cheers.

I love the world cup.

— casey (@casemcnich.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 11:21 PM

Paraguay has declared tomorrow, June 30, a public holiday in celebration of their national team reaching the Round of 16 at the #FIFAWorldCup 👏🇵🇾

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— TSN (@tsnofficial.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 8:53 PM

A Japanese fan broke down crying after his country’s elimination, but a group of Brazilians fans went to console him and Mexican fans made him soar. You gotta love the World Cup! ❤️🌎⚽️

Video: RÉCORD

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— Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran.com) June 29, 2026 at 5:06 PM

This also happened on Sunday but Canada mostly missed it

🇨🇦 MARCO AROP FOR THE WIN

WORLD LEADING TIME

Edmonton’s Marco Arop just ran to a world leading time victory in the 800-metre of 1:41.48 at the Diamond League event in Paris.

www.cbc.ca/player/play/…

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— Devin Heroux (@devinheroux.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 11:43 AM

Catching up with the news
I hadn’t realised that Treaty Six was signed 150 years ago. BYW, Saskatoon is on Treaty Six territory:

This year marks the 150 anniversary of the Treaty 6 signing and as a special commemoration, grade 12 students from Chief Ahtahkakoop School walked 140kms from Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation to Fort Carlton where the treaty was signed.

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— APTN News (@aptnnews.bsky.social) June 25, 2026 at 6:00 PM

It sure did rain yesterday and today. I saw video of flooding in Regina. I guess it rained in Calgary too but it didn’t flood:

Am I glad June is over – its been the year without a spring, but at least now we know why:

Today’s ICE Gestapo gag reflex posts 

Donald Trump’s idea of “The worst of the worst”.

ICE arrests Catholic nun from the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy congregation while she was on her way to Sunday Mass.

South Texas lawmakers scramble to intervene with ICE to get her released:

www.tpr.org/news/2026-06…

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— Rachel Maddow (@maddow.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 1:03 PM

Rachel Maddow seems to be the only US reporter who regularly follows and covers these stories now.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin: “You gotta dig in and go find the people that are deeply hiding. At some point the self-deportation numbers are going to start decreasing, and we are gonna have to go start rounding all these individuals up.”

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— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) June 29, 2026 at 10:54 AM

Thus the need for so many DHS Concentration Camps, I guess…

I miss the great American tradition of not thinking about the president constantly.

— The Volatile Mermaid (@ohnoshetwitnt.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 1:17 PM

The Trump regime has trained the media to accept the idea that constant lying is part of a president’s official duties. And the media have trained the public to accept it, too.

— Mark Jacob (@markjacob.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 6:56 AM

When people read about this era in 200 years they’re going to be convinced most of it was an allegory and not real

— Pwnallthethings (@pwnallthethings.bsky.social) June 18, 2026 at 8:30 PM

Bob Odenkirk is a national treasure. Take 44 seconds and watch.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0rB…

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— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen.bsky.social) June 15, 2026 at 5:21 PM

Per our new polling out today, the most popular politicians in America are…

Barack Obama
Bernie Sanders
Zohran Mamdani
Pete Buttigieg
Jon Ossoff
& Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Trump is tied with Elon Musk and Hakeem Jeffries, Schumer and Carlson in last

www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-06-29…

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— G Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris.com) June 29, 2026 at 5:40 AM

Any politician or political party that doesn’t understand how the opposition to Trump is now causing transformative change in America is going to lose.
Canada knows this profound anger – we’ve been feeling it for the last 18 months. Now it seems to be happening in America too, and its going to change the American political landscape just like it did in Canada. Politicians need to go with it or get out of the way.

I’ll tell you one thing, any Democratic 2028 presidential candidate who says they’re going to “restore balance” and not fire every last Trump appointee on every commission on their first day in office doesn’t deserve a single primary vote

— Paul Waldman (@paulwaldman.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 9:29 AM

“I think we are seeing a hunger that is not just felt by New Yorkers, but frankly by Americans from coast to coast, for a new kind of politics, one that puts working people at the heart of it.” —Mayor Zohran Mamdani

— Robert Reich (@rbreich.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 1:15 PM

The Democratic Party’s new platform just dropped😏

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— Ragnarok Lobster (@eclecticbrotha1.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 6:23 PM

Avi is right:

They’re going to call you a socialist regardless.

So be a socialist.

— Avi Lewis (@avilewis.ca) June 29, 2026 at 7:14 PM

Pride Update
Carney at Toronto Pride parade:

PM Carney speaks with CP24 at the Toronto Pride Parade.

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— Scott Robertson (@sarobertson.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 1:29 PM

“Tens of thousands of people gathered in soaring temperatures in Hungary’s capital on Saturday to celebrate the 31st annual Budapest Pride, the first such LGBTQ+ march since Viktor Orbán, who had sought to ban the event, was ousted in an April election.” www.pbs.org/newshour/wor…

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— Taniel (@taniel.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 3:34 PM

Oxfam Canada Workers Pushing to Include Policies to Support 2SLGBTQ+ Workers and Domestic Violence Survivors in Collective Bargaining

Policies protecting the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ workers have recently gained traction in public sector unions
pressprogress.ca/oxfam-canada…

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— PressProgress (@pressprogress.ca) June 29, 2026 at 5:19 PM

Some photos of Saskatoon’s Pride Parade: