Canada’s men’s national team is preparing to replace defender Moïse Bombito on its 26-player World Cup roster after medical staff determined that the centre back’s surgically repaired tibia is not healthy enough for him to compete, according to multiple TSN sources. The decision is being made with Bombito’s long-term health in mind, sources said.
Bombito played only 30 minutes in a closed-door scrimmage against USL League Two side Vermont Green FC, a match Canada won 3-0 with a heavily rotated lineup. His World Cup status was decided after that appearance. The 26-year-old had previously broken his leg last October and then played just 30 minutes in Canada’s tune-up against Uzbekistan in Edmonton last week before leaving the match in discomfort and receiving ice treatment on the leg.
After that game, Bombito told TSN he felt sore, and Canada head coach Jesse Marsch later said the defender had some sensitivity in the leg. Bombito did not train fully when the team moved to Montreal and only took part in limited drills alongside winger Ali Ahmed, who is also dealing with a hamstring issue, before Friday’s 1-1 draw with Ireland, Canada’s final match before the tournament.
In Bombito’s absence, 20-year-old Luc de Fougerolles has taken over the role. He replaced Bombito in Edmonton, started against Ireland in Montreal, and now appears likely to start Canada’s opening World Cup match on Friday against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Canada has until June 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET, 24 hours before its opening match, to select a replacement from its provisional 55-player roster, which was not made public in May. Although not on the World Cup roster, defenders Ralph Priso and Zorhan Bassong are currently with the team. Canada’s other centre backs on the roster are Derek Cornelius, Joel Waterman and Alfie Jones.
Bombito becomes the second Canadian player to miss the tournament because of injury, following midfielder Marcelo Flores, who ruptured his ACL in his final club match for Tigres before joining the national team. Several other players are also being monitored by Canada’s medical staff, including Alphonso Davies, Jacob Shaffelburg, Ali Ahmed and Alfie Jones, who have all been doing rehab work.
The loss is a significant setback for Canada. Bombito emerged as one of the team’s standout performers during its run to the semi-finals of Copa América, using his pace, strength and defensive awareness to establish himself as a key player. That form earned him a move to Nice in France’s Ligue 1, where he quickly became a starter.
Before his leg fracture, Bombito had already been dealing with a stress fracture in the same leg, and Marsch said in March that the defender had experienced a setback during his recovery.
