Chicago Fire FC Defender Joel Waterman Called up to the Canada Men's National Team for FIFA World Cup 2026
MLS Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire FC Defender Joel Waterman Called up to the Canada Men's National Team for FIFA World Cup 2026

Published on May 29, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Chicago Fire FC News Release


CHICAGO - Chicago Fire FC and Canada Soccer today announced that defender Joel Waterman has been named to the Canada Men's National Team roster for FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The British Columbia native becomes the seventh player to be named to a World Cup roster as an active player of the Fire, joining Jorge Campos (1998), Josh Wolff and DaMarcus Beasley (2002), Xherdan Shaqiri (2022), and Chris Brady and Mbekezeli Mbokazi (2026). It will be the second FIFA World Cup for Waterman, who was a member of the Canada squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He is the first player to be named to a Canada World Cup roster as an active member of the Chicago Fire.

Canada was drawn in to Group B along with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland and will play all three group-stage matches in Canada. Jesse Marsch's squad will begin the group stage against Bosnia & Herzegovina at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto, before traveling across the country to face Qatar at 5 p.m. CT on Thursday, June 18, at BC Place in Vancouver. Canada will close out the group stage against Switzerland at 2 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 24, also at BC Place.

Waterman, 30, joined the Fire in August 2025 after spending the previous five seasons with CF Montréal. Since joining Chicago, Waterman has played in 21 matches and registered 1,624 across all competitions, including the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. Waterman solidified a backline that helped Chicago qualify for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, returning to the postseason for the first time since 2017 and earning its first postseason victory since 2009.

Waterman has earned 17 caps for the Canada Men's National Team, featuring in the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup where Canada went undefeated in Group B against Honduras, Curaçao and El Salvador. He was also a member of Canada's 2024 Copa America and 2022 FIFA World Cup rosters.

Prior to the World Cup, Canada will travel for pre-tournament send-off matches against Uzbekistan at 8 p.m. CT on Monday, June 1, at Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, June 5, at Stade Saputo in Montréal.

DETAILED CANADA MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION (Club)

Goalkeepers (3): Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City SC), Owen Goodman (Barnsley FC), Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami FC)

Defenders (9): Moïse Bombito (OGC Nice), Derek Cornelius (Rangers FC), Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich), Luc De Fougerolles (Fulham FC), Alistair Johnston (Leeds United), Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough FC), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Niko Sigur (Hadjuk Split), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire FC)

Midfielders (10): Ali Ahmed (Norwich City FC), Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal CF), Mathieu Choinière (LAFC), Stephen Eustáquio (LAFC), Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL), Ismaël Koné (U.S. Sassuolo Calcio), Liam Millar (Hull City FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Nathan-Dylan Saliba (R.S.C. Anderlecht), Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC)

Forwards (4): Jonathan David (Juventus FC), Promise David (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), Cyle Larin (Southampton FC), Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal CF)

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Major League Soccer Stories from May 29, 2026


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