Why hasn’t Alphonso Davies played in any of Canada’s World Cup games?

Canada captain Alphonso Davies remains the biggest mystery of the home World Cup. Despite high expectations, the Bayern Munich star has not played a single minute during the group stage, even as Canada played in front of home fans in Toronto and Vancouver.

The fitness issues began on May 6 when Davies suffered a hamstring injury during the Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain. While head coach Jesse Marsch remained optimistic about his captain's recovery, the process has been slow. Davies followed a specialized 'return to play' protocol agreed upon by Canada Soccer and his club.

Before the Switzerland match, Marsch described Davies as a "decoy," admitting he wasn't fully ready. However, the lack of transparency has frustrated fans and media. Unlike other leaders like Jonathan David or Stephen Eustaquio, Davies has avoided public media availability, creating a cloud of uncertainty around his status.

Observers have noted that during training, Davies appears to move with power and accuracy, conflicting with the official narrative of his unavailability. With Canada set to face South Africa in the round of 32 on Sunday in Los Angeles, the question persists: will the nation's biggest star finally take the pitch, or will the wait continue?