Dwayne De Rosario Urges Canada to Embrace Pressure Ahead of Switzerland Clash

Former CanMNT star Dwayne De Rosario opened up about Canada’s performances at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and their high-stakes Group B matchup against Switzerland.

Canada began the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium. 

Much was made of Juventus striker Jonathan David's subpar performance against Bosnia. However, he rebounded with a spectacular hat trick in Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar.

With the victory, Canada moved into the top spot in Group B through goal differential and tied with Switzerland on four points. 

As a result, Wednesday’s matchup will be crucial as it will determine who finishes first in the group.

“I'm very proud. Proud of what they're doing, proud of what they're accomplishing, and proud of the direction things are going. So much to be proud of,” De Rosario told SportsBoom.us. 

“To see the representation that we have with our Canadian team, when I played, it's amazing. When you look across the board, and you see players playing at various clubs, whether it's MLS, whether it's internationally, and it's inspiring for the next generation,” he added.

The former MLS Cup winner hopes Canada’s strong World Cup performance at home will inspire the nation and encourage more young players to continue playing football. 

He pointed to the work he has done with his own DeRo TFC Academy, as well as his affiliation with LinkSports, as being pathways for players to get noticed and earn opportunities at the professional level.

“I think that's what LinkSports is, we're trying to create, make the players feel like they're a part of something special, which drives their commitment, which drives their passion for the game, which drives them to continue to push harder.”

PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE 

The CanMNT has gained plenty of attention after its 6-0 victory over Qatar. Given that finishing atop Group B is an attainable goal, there is more pressure on Canada to succeed. 

That pressure was not always there for Canada in the past. De Rosario stressed that pressure is a privilege and something that should be embraced by every player. 

Having a lot of pressure signifies that supporters have high expectations and that the players have earned respect.

“That pressure is great, that pressure we've always asked for, that pressure we've always wanted to embrace. So to see it now, it's amazing.”

“I think all the players are thriving from, will thrive from that, appreciate that. And we'd love to see that soccer is finally at a place where it's getting recognition and not just in the soccer department, but in the sports department as a whole,” he said. 

“People are talking about it. The first time I turn on the news, or I go to the newspaper, and they're talking about soccer. And, I think there's space for it.” 

“We're pushing for first place. Switzerland is a very good team, so a win is important or a draw at least, because having that home field advantage is crucial going into the next knockout stage.”

“I'm pretty sure that would be the goal. Try to get a result, and then we will play in Vancouver.” 

INVEST IN TALENT

While De Rosario is proud of the CanMNT’s success, he urged Canada Soccer to continue its commitment to investing in the sport and provide resources to ensure it can develop the next generation. 

“In Canada, we need to wake up and realize we have talent, man. We have so much sports talent, like look at that. Okay, yeah, we don't have the numbers that the U.S. does in terms of eyeballs and stuff like that.”

“We're at a time now where we need to really start putting more resources, putting more emphasis, and raising the profile of sports in this country,” he concluded.