Beyond the pitch: The hidden demands of being a FIFA World Cup player

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If you ask any of the players on Canada’s men’s national team what it takes to represent the nation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first thing they’ll likely tell you is friendship.

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“Our friendship is probably one of the biggest things we’re proud of, to be honest. There’s a lot of teams that don’t have a very good locker room but at the same time they do get things done on the pitch that make them winners. But, I think our team is stronger because we like each other,” said the team’s vice captain Stephen Eustaquio, who is assuming leadership responsibilities while captain Alphonso Davies is sidelined with a hamstring injury.

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Even Davies will back him up on that.

“We have a great dynamic of guys who love being around each other. There’s nobody who feels left out,” he said.

But it does take more than good vibes to prepare a team for the biggest sporting tournament in the world. There are flights to coordinate, meals to plan, injuries to manage, families to accommodate and dozens of staff members working behind the scenes so players can focus on football.

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“There’s a lot that’s being put into it,” said head coach Jesse Marsch, noting that Canada Soccer leadership had a vision “for the infrastructure of what this organization can be and how we can make sure that we’re prepared to host the tournament and perform at the tournament.”

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What does it actually take to get a World Cup team from the training ground to the opening whistle? Here’s a look at the people, planning and support systems behind a successful World Cup campaign.

How do teams travel to each city?

The 2026 World Cup is the most geographically expansive in the tournament’s history, with matches taking place in Canada, the United States and Mexico. The farthest distance between two host cities is the 4,800 kilometers separating Vancouver and Miami.

With distances like that, just getting to the event is a logistical feat.

While fans make their own way between host cities, FIFA covers charter flights for participating teams. Canada’s travelling party consists of 26 players and approximately 27 staff members, including coaches, medical personnel, analysts, operations staff and communications personnel. They also have room for some Canada Soccer executives to travel with the team.

In the group stage, Canada’s journey will be relatively short. They’ll only have one flight; after kicking off the tournament in Toronto on June 12 against Bosnia and Herzegovina they head to Vancouver to face Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24. If Canada wins their group, up to two following knockout-round matches will also take place in Vancouver.

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On the other hand, their Game 1 opponents have the longest travel schedule of the tournament. After its game in Toronto, Bosnia and Herzegovina will fly to Los Angeles and then to Seattle, bringing their total group stage travel to 5,035 km.

How do players’ families watch games?

The World Cup is often a milestone event, not only for players, but also for the people who helped them get there.

Under the national team collective bargaining agreement, each player named to Canada’s 2026 World Cup roster will receive $20,000 to help cover travel, accommodations and related expenses for family and friends during the group stage. If Canada advances, players receive an additional $5,000 for every knockout-round match the team plays.

For a 26-player roster, that amounts to more than half a million dollars dedicated to helping family and friends attend the tournament.

Not every country playing in the World Cup has the same provisions for friends and family, it’s dependent on individual associations.

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The CBA also outlines ticket provisions. While players receive eight tickets each for any event controlled by Canada Soccer, the agreement allots four tickets per player for Tier 1 events that are not run by the association such as the World Cup. Additional tickets are available to purchase during designated windows prior to the public on sale timing. Tickets are technically not transferable to other players although many on the team do negotiate amongst themselves to swap unused tickets at various matches.

A home tournament also means more supporters clamouring for tickets and attention, but Marsch said he’s confident his group can focus in the big moments.

“My job is to really focus on making sure that we’re ready and that our concentration isn’t on all the distractions,” he said.

Where do teams sleep, eat and train?

Once athletes arrive, recovery and preparation become the priority. Under the CBA, Canadian receive single-occupancy hotel rooms during the World Cup.

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Sleep is a huge priority for athletes, especially with World Cup travel disrupting their patterns.

“They take it very seriously,” said Nick Mavromaras, who added that athletes he represents work with a sports science company based in Brazil that uses wearable tech to track their sleep and provide guidance based on how deep their sleep was.

“After a game, they’ll usually go to sleep super late because of the adrenaline. That’s why training the next day is usually a bit later,” he said.

During the tournament, teams stay in hotels but train out of designated Team Base Camps throughout the group stage. Only two of the 48 participating teams will be based in Canada — the Canadians will be at the National Soccer Development Centre in Vancouver and Panama will train in New Tecumseth, Ont. The remaining teams will be spread across the continent, with 39 in the United States and seven in Mexico.

Teams also have local “venue specific training sites” to use when they travel for matches that include both training and media facilities.

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Meals at the base camp and on game day are planned with performance in mind. During the World Cup, FIFA provides the food based on the meal plans that Canada Soccer has developed with their nutritionist, who works remotely to create menus tailored to the team’s needs.

Do players get paid?

Under the CBA, which is in place until 2027, players receive $25,000 per game during the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Players also can earn additional compensation if Canada advances beyond the group stage. Any FIFA prize money earned through knockout-round performance is split evenly between Canada Soccer and the players. The players’ share is then divided equally between the men’s and women’s national team player pools, reflecting their commitment to equal pay.

In addition to match fees, players can benefit from Canada Soccer’s commercial success during the World Cup cycle. Under the CBA, the men’s and women’s national teams receive a portion of Canada Soccer’s overall revenues through a tiered revenue-sharing formula tied to adjusted gross revenue.

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In addition, they’re entitled to a separate Commercial Revenue Share in 2026 and 2027 equal to 27.5% of adjusted sponsorship revenue above $4 million, with a guaranteed minimum payout of $250,000 per year. There’s also a revenue sharing agreement for ticket sales from the two friendlies played in Edmonton and Montreal prior to the World Cup.

With heightened attention on soccer during the World Cup, athletes also focus on earning their own sponsorship dollars. For example, Canada’s top goal-scorer Jonathan David has World Cup sponsorship with LG, Walmart and Tim Hortons, among others.

“You have to take advantage of this period,” said Mavromaras, who represents David. “They’re very good for exposure and extra money. We did what we could to maximize.”

What happens when players get hurt?

No amount of planning can eliminate the biggest concern facing every World Cup team: Injuries.

Canada enters the tournament with a lengthy injury report. Captain Alphonso Davies is recovering from a hamstring injury and is expected to miss the opening match, while defenders Moïse Bombito, Richie Laryea and Alfie Jones are all working their way back from significant injuries.

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Meanwhile, Marcelo Flores will miss the tournament entirely after rupturing the ACL in his right knee during the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.

“As much as it’s been about the injuries, and I understand why, you can see there’s also a lot of guys performing at a high level right now,” Marsch said.

Behind the scenes, much of the responsibility falls to the team’s medical and performance staff, who monitor workloads and recovery protocols throughout the tournament.

There is also a financial safety net for clubs. Under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme, clubs can receive compensation when a player suffers a significant injury while on official national team duty and is sidelined for more than 28 consecutive days. The program was created to protect clubs that release players for international competitions, recognizing that teams continue paying player salaries even when injuries occur while representing their country. Compensation is tied to the player’s salary and injury absence, subject to FIFA’s program limits.

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For Canada, the hope is that the medical staff’s biggest job during the World Cup will be maintaining player fitness rather than managing new injuries. With a roster already carrying several recovery stories into the tournament, health could prove just as important as tactics.

Performing on the field

“I’ve advertised this as the best team ever assembled for a Canadian national team,” Marsch said.

The challenge now is turning that potential into results.

Canada enters the tournament with heightened expectations, buoyed by a golden generation of players that includes Davies, Jonathan David, Eustaquio and a core that has spent years playing together on the international stage.

But as much as the World Cup requires charter flights, nutrition plans, medical staff and family support systems, the ultimate measure of success will be what happens once the whistle blows.

“We’re honoured to represent the country in such a moment,” Marsch said. “But the best way to do that is to make sure we’re ready to perform.”

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