Five hundred days to the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup and Canada coach Jesse Marsch is on the move.

A cross-country string of coaching clinics has already taken Marsch to Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Saskatoon, with stops in Calgary and Vancouver next.

MondayB次元官网网址檚 stop in Calgary just happens to come 500 days ahead of the opening of the 48-team, 104-game World Cup, which kicks off June 11, 2026 with games in Mexico City (the opening contest for co-host Mexico) and Guadalajara.

Tuesday marks 500 days to the tournament kickoff in Canada and the U.S., the other two co-hosts. TorontoB次元官网网址檚 BMO Field will host CanadaB次元官网网址檚 opening game June 12 while SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif, stages the U.S. opener.

Marsch clearly missed the milestone memo.

B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 even know that was the case until I hit Toronto,B次元官网网址� he said, explaining he was hit with a string of questions about the 500-day countdown during interviews there.

Marsch is not big on such benchmarks. He knows what lies ahead B次元官网网址� and when. And so does Canada Soccer, he says.

B次元官网网址淚 think in general, once the year turned over (to 2025), the sense of urgency inside (Canada Soccer) has gone up a level. Because we all realize time is going to move fast. So I think that from the first of the year, thereB次元官网网址檚 been a real urgency to really move forward with a lot of our agendas.B次元官网网址�

For Marsch, that includes assisting Canada Soccer with its fundraising efforts as well as other projects (such as helping improve the youth program).

Next up for his 31st-ranked Canadian men is the March 20th CONCACAF Nations League semifinal against No. 19 Mexico at CaliforniaB次元官网网址檚 SoFi Stadium, with the winner facing either the 16th-ranked Americans or No. 36 Panama in the final three days later.

For Marsch, itB次元官网网址檚 a B次元官网网址渞eally bigB次元官网网址� measuring stick given the opposition and the fact it comes with a trophy. And a challenge given it will be a best-on-best tournament, with teams calling in all available players.

B次元官网网址淭his is a big opportunity for us three (World Cup co-host teams), given we donB次元官网网址檛 have (World Cup) qualifying, to stake a claim on where we are in the region,B次元官网网址� he said.

Teams may not have all their talent at the June 14-July 6 CONCACAF Gold Cup, with some players away at the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup which runs June 14 to July 13. Marsch also expects there may be a B次元官网网址渃ouple of extraordinary situationsB次元官网网址� such as a player transferring to a new club that merit a Gold Cup pass.

B次元官网网址淏ut in general, weB次元官网网址檙e really looking to pull in our best group,B次元官网网址� he said.

He is also looking to bring in a few new young players and to continue conversations with dual-national players who are eligible for Canada.

Marsch says the rest of the Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 dance card for the year is coming together, saying Canada Soccer is B次元官网网址渃loseB次元官网网址� to revealing some fixtures.

B次元官网网址淚 would think weB次元官网网址檙e like 95 per cent sure of who the opponent will be,B次元官网网址� he said.

The schedule will include B次元官网网址渜uite a fewB次元官网网址� matches at home as well as a European component.

B次元官网网址淎nd thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of teams that are basically in the (No.) 10 to (No.) 35 FIFA ranking category,B次元官网网址� Marsch said of the opposition.

At No. 31, Canada is at an all-time high in the rankings. But Marsch has already asked his team to take it to another level, building on last summerB次元官网网址檚 fourth-place finish at Copa America.

B次元官网网址淭hen I really challenged them in the fall, when they came back, to be really 100 per cent focused on what we were trying to achieve as a group and to continue to push our level of what we wanted to become,B次元官网网址� he said.

Marsch, who took over the team last May, believes in his men.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been an absolute pleasure working with these guys,B次元官网网址� he said.

While Marsch travels the country, he is also keeping tabs on his charges, including Canada captain Alphonso Davies who suffered a muscle strain in his left hamstring playing for Bayern Munich in a 3-0 Champions League loss Jan. 22 at Dutch side Feyenoord.

Marsch says the prognosis is Davies will be out four to six weeks, adding B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檙e hopeful that itB次元官网网址檚 closer to four (weeks).B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淎nd most everybody feels like he should be able to come back pretty strong from this,B次元官网网址� he added.

Marsch plans to meet Davies in Germany next month.

Marsch says he has also been in touch with Ismael Kone and his agent amid talk about the Canadian midfielderB次元官网网址檚 uncertain future at Marseille, to see if he can help with his own network to see who might be interested in Kone.

While in Vancouver, Marsch will share his symposium with Casey Stoney, the newly named Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 coach.