Concacaf

Mexican soccer is facing a bleak present and an uncertain future. Despite the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, the failures are piling up at industrial levels. 

The elimination from the 2022 World Cup – the first in a group stage since Argentina 1978 – is the most notorious fall at the display, but the list of frustrations in the last two years is simply abysmal. Without counting Liga MX sorrows against Major League Soccer, the Mexican national teams seem to be wandering around without a clear North. 

To prepare you for the tournament, The18 has launched team-by-team previews for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Here's the Canada World Cup preview 2022. The Canucks will play in Group F against Belgium, Morocco and Croatia.

Canada World Cup Preview 2022

World Cup appearances: 2nd

Best finish: Group stage (1986)  

Costa Rica head coach Luis Fernando Suarez entrusted veterans Keylor Navas, Bryan Ruiz, Joel Campbell and Oscar Duarte to lead their challenge at the Qatar World Cup as he named his 26-man selection for the tournament on Thursday.

The tournament will be the quartet's third World Cup finals appearance, with Suarez also including the likes of Francisco Calvo, Yeltsin Tejeda and Kendall Waston.

There was also a place for young Sunderland striker Jewison Bennette who opened his international account with two goals against South Korea in September.

On Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, Lionel Messi was limited to 34 minutes off the bench but again demonstrated why his form has Argentina firmly placed among the favorites in Qatar.

Messi scored twice — giving him nine goals in his last three international appearances — to continue his incredible start to 2022-23 (he has six goals and eight assists in 11 games for PSG).

The first was a 22-yard rip that skipped into the corner beyond a despairing Andre Blake in the 86th minute.