Canada beat Venezuela 2-0 in their last match of 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Tuesday.
Midfielder Ismael Kone scored a first half goal before receiving a red card in the second. Venezuela had earlier seen a player sent off, with both teams finishing the friendly with 10 men.
Substitute striker Promise David added a late goal to double the lead and seal Canada’s first win in four matches.
“We got two goals, but I do think that this team has more quality with the ball in it and more ability in the last third to make more chances,” said Canada coach Jesse Marsch after the match. “But at the same time, the thing that they always deliver is intensity and belief and aggressiveness.”
Canada won seven, drew three and lost four of their 14 games in 2025 with notable victories over the United States, Romania, Wales and Ukraine along with creditable draws against Ecuador and Columbia. Two of the losses were on penalties.
But Marsch is confident his team is on the right trajectory as they head into a World Cup year.
“There’s more work to be done, but we’ve made a lot of progress, specifically in these last three months.”
There are only two official international windows ahead of next summer’s World Cup, at the end of March and the start of June. But Marsch is hoping to host a squad camp in January for those players who are available.
Canada will learn their World Cup group stage opponents soon, when the 2026 World Cup draw is made in Washington, D.C. on Friday, Dec. 5.
