Alphonso Davies says it was his call to sit out Canada’s World Cup exit

Canada captain Alphonso Davies confirmed that the decision to remain on the bench during Canada’s 3-0 round-of-16 loss to Morocco was his own. The Bayern Munich star spent the entirety of the match as a substitute as Canada's World Cup run came to an end.

Davies explained that he felt discomfort in his hamstring during training on Friday, the same injury he was managing upon his arrival at the tournament. After consulting with head coach Jesse Marsch, Davies admitted he was not at full fitness.

We want players on the pitch that are 100 percent to play the game and can 100 percent give everything. I felt like I wasn’t there yet, so this is why we made the decision, or I made the decision to sit down and give the players the opportunity to play that can give 100 percent to the country. Alphonso Davies

Coach Jesse Marsch confirmed that while an MRI scan showed no new injury, the team opted to be cautious given Davies' history of recurring hamstring issues. The 25-year-old noted that he has dealt with similar setbacks three times in the last few months, making the risk of further injury too high for such a demanding role.

Davies finished the tournament having played only 15 minutes as a substitute against South Africa. Despite Canada’s strong first-half performance against Morocco, the team was unable to break the deadlock and ultimately conceded three goals, marking the end of their World Cup campaign.