EASports FIFA and Canada’s Rise in Soccer (Football) Rankings

A few years ago, when EA Sports added the women’s national teams to FIFA, I often enjoyed trotting out Team Canada and going to work. As one of the better clubs in the world, it was fun to not only cheer for them in real life, but to play with them as well in FIFA. On the men’s side…it’s never been that way. I’ve always cheered for the Netherlands when the EURO Cup or World Cup come around, and always played as the Netherlands in FIFA. When FIFA 23 launches this fall with a FIFA World Cup mode, I can finally play as….Canada?

Over the past few years, Canada has shot up the FIFA World Cup Rankings, and currently sit in their best position ever at 33 in the world. Big wins in the last few rounds of World Cup Qualifying – over rivals The United States and Mexico – has shot the team further up the world rankings, and has them sitting in the first spot for World Cup Qualifying for the region, 4 points clear of the second place team. With one final World Cup Qualifying push in March, could we see Canada crack the top 30 in the world?

While not official, it is inevitable that Canada is heading to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, something the country hasn’t done in a number of decades. But this team, brimming with young talent like Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David, and Kyle Larin, is poised to make history. Shoot, with a favourable finish in qualifying and a high enough seed in World Cup rankings, Canada could see themselves in a nice position when the World Cup group draws happen in April.

So how does this all factor into how I’ll play FIFA 23? I’ll play as Canada, of course. And that’s something I haven’t been able to do for a long while. At this point, I can only hope that when FIFA 23 launches this fall, that EA Sports will be including a full Qatar World Cup mode so I can take my beloved country to the promise land.