Thumping win cements Canada's place as a 'soccer nation'

Thumping win cements Canada's place as a 'soccer nation'2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNadine YousifSenior Canada reporterReutersCanada delivered a decisive win against Qatar before a sold-out crowd at Vancouver's stadium on Thursday.Canada fans would have been happy with a modest win over Qatar on Thursday. Instead, they got a historic 6-0 rout - a victory they say has cemented Canada's place as a "soccer nation".The match will go down in Canadian sports history as their first-ever World Cup win - even though it was tinged with heartbreak after midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a tournament-ending leg break. "As a Canadian, to sit there and watch it all, I will live in that forever," said TSN reporter Matthew Scianitti as he walked through celebratory crowds in Vancouver.Everything to know about Canada's men's team at the 2026 World Cup'I'm going to have fun either way' - Canadian fans navigate split loyalties in World CupThursday's match against Qatar was Canada's first of this tournament in Vancouver. It was played before a sold-out crowd of 52,000 people, almost all of whom were wearing a mix of red and white.Before the match, thousands of Canada fans marched along the "last mile" to the stadium blanketed by red smoke flares. Thousands of others gathered at watch parties across the country, from Vancouver's Granville Street to small neighbourhood bars in Toronto.That is where Dave Di Cola, a longtime fan of Canadian football, watched the men's team dominate Qatar with dozens of other supporters.Di Cola told the BBC that he felt "reserved optimism" heading into the game, noting that anything could happen in football.The match quickly unfolded in Canada's favour, however, with three goals before half-time. By the end, it was a blowout - albeit one aided by Qatar having two players sent off. ReutersWatch parties were held across the countr...