Chicago Fire FC Defender Joel Waterman Called up to Canada Men's National Team for January International Window
Published on January 6, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release
CHICAGO - Chicago Fire FC defender Joel Waterman has been called up by the Canada Men's National Team for an international training camp and friendly match against Guatemala.
Canada will train in Irvine, Calif., beginning on Jan. 8, before facing Guatemala at 9 p.m. CT on Jan. 17 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Waterman joined Chicago in August 2025 and started all six matches in which he played for the Men in Red. At the international level, he has earned 15 caps for the Canada Men's National Team, featuring in several friendlies and CONCACAF Nations League matches. He was also a member of Canada's 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad, as well as the 2024 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup rosters.
Chicago's 2026 regular season, driven by Carvana, will begin on the road against the Houston Dynamo at 7:30 p.m. CT, at BBVA Stadium. The following weekend, the Fire will host Eastern Conference rival CF Montréal on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Soldier Field. Scheduled to kick off at 1:30 p.m. CT, the match against Montréal will mark the earliest home opener in Chicago Fire history, occurring one day earlier than the Club's 2025 opener.
Canada Men's National Team Roster
Goalkeepers (2): Luka Gavran (Toronto FC), James Pantemis (Portland Timbers FC)
Defenders (8): Noah Abatneh (Atlético Ottawa), Zorhan Bassong (Sporting Kansas City), Matteo de Brienne (GAIS), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (CF Montréal), Kamal Miller (Portland Timbers FC), Ralph Priso (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire FC)
Midfielders (7): Jeevan Badwal (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Mathieu Choinière (LAFC), Jayden Nelson (Austin FC), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Shola Jimoh (Inter Toronto FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC)
Forwards (3): Tiago Coimbra (Halifax Wanderers FC), Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Jacen Russell-Rowe (Columbus Crew)Training Player: Marius Aiyenero (Los Angeles FC 2)
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