CANADA

Born into a football-loving family, Johnston used to wake up at 4.30am on Saturday mornings in British Columbia to watch English Premier League matches live, and has never lost that love for the game. Enthusiastic, hard-tackling and full of natural leadership and passion, he is loved by Celtic fans for understanding what it means to represent their club, ever since the day he arrived back in December 2022. He told the Guardian last year: “I see what the club means to people. I understand that if I’m a fan of a club like this, what would I like to see from my players? I’m honest with my work, defensively love a tackle, love being physical. I’m a bit football mad. I love the city. [It’s] the biggest fish bowl in all of Europe. Everyone knows who you are. You don’t know if they love you or hate you but you know they know who you are. I’m not famous outside of maybe a 30-mile radius of Glasgow city centre … but what a radius.” An excellent passer and relentless one-on-one defender, he can play in multiple positions but has all of the tools required of a modern full-back.

While others can claim to be the face of this Canadian team, Eustáquio is undoubtedly the heartbeat. A passionate leader, some of his best performances for club and country have come on the biggest stages, as he showed with the Portuguese giants Porto, where he won multiple trophies. A tireless box-to-box runner, he brings huge versatility, equally adept as a box-crasher, a ball-progresser, a deep-lying defensive blocker, and even a centre-back – a coach's dream. Born in Ontario, not far from the US border, when he was seven Eustáquio moved with his Portuguese parents back to Portugal, where he began his journey into professional football. He moved from Porto to LAFC on loan in February this year, adding strength to their star-studded team. His Canada teammate Richie Laryea says Eustáquio’s importance to the national side cannot be overstated: “He does a lot of the dirty work that people don't really recognise.”

Whatever happens this summer, Larin will forever be a cult hero in Canada for his displays during the 2022 qualifying cycle when he scored 13 goals in 16 games, helping Canada reach their first World Cup since 1986. Known for his smart movement in the box and first-time finishing, he can be a real handful as he showed during a brief spell at Real Valladolid, where fans coined the term “Larinisimo”. Jesse Marsch said in March that Larin’s loan to Southampton was perfect timing. “It’s exactly what he needed," the Canada coach said. "He's playing outstanding, he’s made a huge impact and will come into the World Cup in form, which is exactly what we need. I couldn’t be more excited for Cyle right now." When he signed for the Saints, Larin, who had already played in the US, Canada, Turkey, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, told their website that playing in England “has always been an itch. The style of play, the way of football in England is something I’ve always wanted to live and breathe.”

“He's the smartest player I've ever coached,” says Jesse Marsch. David really is a cerebral striker, a two-footed finisher with the workrate of a midfielder. He has undergone quite the journey from timid youngster playing in the Canadian capital, Ottawa, to becoming a global star with Juventus. It was his bold gamble as a teenager to sign with the Belgian side Gent instead of staying in Canada that accelerated his road to the top. David then moved to the Ligue 1 side Lille and immediately played his part in their surprise 2020-21 French title win, before blossoming into one of the best strikers in Europe across his half-decade in France. Having been heavily linked with a move to England, David told the Guardian last year: “For me, watching the Premier League, the biggest difference it’s just the intensity. The game is always at a high-end tempo, always 100% back and forth for 90 minutes.” Known as the Iceman for his cool, unflappable nature, David sees himself as “someone that’s always calm. As a striker, someone who’s relied on to score goals, I think that quality comes in handy.” After a slow start in Turin, the striker earned more game time under Luciano Spalletti as the season unfolded.