Connor McDavid Spotted Cheering for Team Canada at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Connor McDavid was in attendance at the BMO Field in Toronto as Canada took on Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Group B clash of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Connor McDavid Spotted Cheering for Team Canada at 2026 FIFA World Cup

Connor McDavid (Image via X/@oilyjays/Olympics)

The FIFA World Cup fever has taken over. On Friday, Canada, one of the three hosts along with the United States and Mexico, got their campaign underway with a clash against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto. Among the fans who attended that game was Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

Canada, who are placed in Group B, were making just their 3rd appearance in the World Cup Finals. In their previous two attempts in 1986 and 2022, they lost all games and failed to register a single point.

There was some optimism for them, though. The World Cup hosts had reached the knockout phase in 20 of the previous 22 editions, with South Africa (2010) and Qatar (2022) being the only exceptions.

Before the game, the Canadian fans stormed the streets in fine voice, flags waving high.

Among the thousands who cheered on the team on Friday was Connor McDavid. With the Edmonton Oilers suffering a first-round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, the forward had some free time on his watch.

The NHLer donned a white T-shirt and sported a red cap and black sunglasses. In a video, the 29-year-old could be seen sipping wine while chatting with someone.

He was also seen smiling and cheering in the stands as Canada earned a crucial point. A 78th-minute strike from Cyle Larin cancelled out Jovo Lukic‘s goal in the 21st minute, which had given Bosnia and Herzegovina the lead.

McDavid’s appearance at the World Cup was the 2nd hockey/soccer crossover in recent days. On Thursday, Manchester City and Norwegian forward Erling Haaland was spotted at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

McDavid, however, was not the only Canadian celebrity in the stands on Friday. Actors Ryan Reynolds and Mike Myers were also among the 43,002 attendees.

Canada will play all of their group games at home turf. Their next encounter will be against 2022 hosts, Qatar, at BC Place in Vancouver on 18th June. Their last group game against Switzerland will also be at this stadium.

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Connor McDavid just fell short of a 4th NHL MVP honor

On Thursday, the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA) announced the results of the Hart Trophy voting. In this, Connor McDavid fell just short of a 4th NHL MVP honor as Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning was declared the winner.

Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid (Image via X/@BR_OpenIce)

The Hart Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player (MVP) of the series, is decided through votes from the hockey writers. As per the votes from the PHWA, Kucherov earned 1,436 points.

The Russian international received 72 first-place, 60 second-place, 52 third-place, 12 fourth-place, and 0 fifth-place votes, respectively.

Meanwhile, McDavid went 68-62-56-10-2 in the voting. This saw him earn 1,426 points, 10 less than Kucherov.

Kucherov’s 2nd MVP victory sparked some debates on social media. He finished the regular season with 130 points (44 goals and 86 assists) in 76 games and picked up 6 more points (1 goal and 5 assists) in the playoffs. The Lightning suffered a first-round exit at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.

McDavid, on the other hand, wrapped the regular season with 138 points (48 goals and 90 assists) in 82 games. In the playoffs, he also had 6 points (1 goal and 5 assists).

In the regular season, he finished ahead of Kucherov in the points tally. Despite this, he missed out on another MVP honor.

The 3-time NHL MVP did win the Ted Lindsey Award, though. This award is given to the most outstanding player voted by the members of the NHL Players’ Association. McDavid won this honor for the 5th time in his career last Sunday.

With the Oilers’ loss against the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, questions have once again been raised regarding the future of McDavid with the team. Before the start of the 2025-26 season, he signed a short-term 2-year, $25 million contract extension with the team.

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