World Cup: Ian Wright Slams Jesse Marsch For Comments After Canada 1-2 Switzerland

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Ian Wright and Patrick Vieira weren't impressed with Jesse Marsch's comments after Canada's defeat to Switzerland at the 2026 World Cup on Wednesday afternoon.

After a draw against Bosnia and a 6-0 rout of Qatar, Canada went into their third and final group game against Switzerland knowing a draw or better would see them qualify for the knockout rounds as group winners.

However, they were unable to get the result they needed as Switzerland picked up all three points. Promise David's 76th minute goal wasn't enough for Les Rouges as they suffered a 2-1 defeat, condeming them to a second-place finish in Group B.

A win for Canada would have seen them contest their last 32 match in front of their own fans in Vancouver. They have missed that opportunity, though, and will now have to travel to Los Angeles.

The 52-year-old expressed his disappointment at not being able to play their last 32 match in Canada. He told ITV: "It's been awesome [playing in Canada]. And that's the disappointment. We just want to continue the energy that's taken place here in Canada.

"You know, I've been through these World Cups, and I've been through different big moments in my career. And I know when you get one big win, building on that is so important. And so, I'm disappointed we weren't able to get the win or draw today to keep us here.

"I'm so thankful for the energy and the country, and certainly in the stadium here today, but we're going to go to LA. It's probably going to be an away crowd, it's going to be a little tougher, but we still want to electrify our country and play really well down there and go after it still."

It was hoped that Canada's star player, Alphonso Davies, would play his first minutes at the tournament. The Bayern Munich ace has not yet featured for his nation in the tournament as he recovers from a hamstring injury. He was named on the bench once again for the game against Switzerland, but he did not make his way onto the pitch.

Speaking about his decision not to sub Davies on, despite Canada needing a goal, Marsch said: "Alphonso will be ready. We thought about Alphonso, but we're just trying to manage him and not put him in a situation where we felt like he'll be in danger. But he should be ready for the next match."

Wright wasn't impressed with Marsch's post-match interview, saying he sounded a bit 'performative'.

Wright said: "It doesn't make sense that you've got the opportunity, to play a game, win a game, and stay in your country, where you'll have the fan's support. And then he's talking about how much he believes in this team and the heart of this team. They should have had that at the start of the game so that they could stay here and have a better chance.

"Sometimes he sounds a bit performative to me. I don't want to be nasty or anything, but he sounds like he's saying the right thing for the sake of saying it."

Duncan Ferguson couldn't understand why Davies did not play any minutes. The Scotsman said: "He's on the bench, if he's on the bench so he can put him on can't he?"

While Vieira also questioned how much Marsch wanted Canada to play their last 32 match in Vancouver. He said: "If you really want to stay in Vancouver, you would have approached the game in a different way. If Davies is fit, he has to play 15 minutes or half-an-hour.

"You need to give him some game-time for him to be ready for the next game. He can't start. If he didn't come on today, then it will be very difficult for him to start. Or that will be a massive gamble on his side.

Canada now face a very tough path to the World Cup final. They will play their last 32 match on Sunday, June 28, with South Korea their likely opponents.