Waterman to be part of CANMNT for Second FIFA World Cup
CHICAGO (May 29, 2026) – 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.
