Canada’s World Cup Hopes Rocked After Alphonso Davies Injury Scare

The 25-year-old left Bayern Munich's match on Saturday in immense discomfort.

Alphonso Davies has been plagued with injuries throughout his career. | F. Noever/FC Bayern/Getty Images

Canada men’s national team defender Alphonso Davies limped off the pitch in Bayern Munich’s 3–2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon, sparking concerns about his potential for the 2026 World Cup just 111 days away. 

The 25-year-old got tied up in a routine challenge for the ball early in the second half at Allianz Arena before dropping down to the pitch in visible discomfort. After receiving medical attention, he eventually hobbled off the field in immense emotional distress as teammates walked alongside him. 

Despite the offer of a stretcher, Davies managed to make his way back down the tunnel under his own power. Bayern went on to secure three points, extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to eight points over second-place Borussia Dortmund. 

#Davies verlässt die Arena ohne Krücken. #FCBayern @tonline pic.twitter.com/St9isGDv6t

— Julian Buhl (@julianbuhl) February 21, 2026

Davies had only recently returned to action on Jan. 17. He missed the entire offseason and the first half of the 2025–26 campaign recovering from an ACL tear and surgery, sustained in 2025’s March international window during a Concacaf Nations League match against the United States. 

Since returning, he has amassed just 500 minutes across 12 appearances. 

“It looked like it might be something longer-term,” said Max Eberl, Bayern’s board member for sport, after Saturday’s match. “It has to be something muscular. He’s already being examined.” 

Bayern manager Vincent Kompany further added that the injury “doesn’t look so bad,” and that he doesn’t know “exactly what (Davies) has. He was a little more composed in the dressing room. We hope there won’t be too much downtime.”

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A Potential Blow to Canada’s World Cup Hopes

Jesse Marsch (center) may have to adapt Canada's World Cup plans without Alphonso Davies. | Jesse Marsch - Canada vs. Colombia

Davies has been hampered by injuries throughout his career, with the recent ACL tear being the most significant outside of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart, which kept him out for months following a COVID-19 diagnosis in 2022, which impacted his Canada availability for 2022 World Cup qualifying. 

When fit, he is the powerhouse behind the manager Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad, whether playing a traditional left back role or advancing further up the pitch as a left midfielder in the team’s 4-4-2 setup. 

Any muscle injury that impacts his speed and agility could be a blow to how well he can perform in Marsch’s high-pressing system. At the same time, the potential of having him entirely out of the lineup leaves Canada without the most significant game-breaking talent against higher-ranked sides. 

Fortunately for Canada, if Davies’s latest injury does hamper him at the World Cup, the wide areas, especially on the left, are deep. Toronto FC’s Richie Laryea would likely slide in at left back, where he impressed throughout 2025, while each of Norwich City’s Ali Ahmed, Hull City’s Liam Millar or LAFC’s Jacob Shaffelburg could play left midfield. 

Canada will play four friendlies in the lead-up to the June 12 World Cup opener in Toronto, taking on Tunisia and Iceland in the March international window, before facing Ireland and Uzbekistan in pre-World Cup friendlies.

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