Belgium vs Canada Odds & Recap
Red Devils Come in as Group F Favorites
âš½Belgium vs Canada: Game Recapâš½
Results: Belgium 1 – 0 Canada
Belgium just edged a 1-0 win over Canada in a battle of the golden generations for their countries. The team from the Great North looked like the better side throughout the match, but they could not find the net.
The first 15 minutes – and much of the first half – belonged to Canada. They were attacking the aging Belgian defense at full-send. Still, Canada couldn’t convert with Alphonso Davies’s 10th-minute penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois. It was the first on record saved at a World Cup by a Belgian keeper.
Jonathan David missed a clear chance to pass on a shot and lay it off to Tajon Buchanan.
Just after the half-hour mark, Jonathan David missed a clear chance to pass on a shot and lay it off to Tajon Buchanan. The Lille striker fired into a defender, with Buchanan pleading on his right as momentum again built for Canada.
Belgium’s 56.2% first-half possession was inconsequential at best, with lateral moves leading to hopeful balls over the top and amounting to nothing – until they did. That was Toby Alderweireld’s ball up the middle and into the box to Michy Batshuayi to finish near the penalty spot for the match’s only goal.
Canada’s best chance to equalize in the second half came in the 80th minute, with Cyle Larin’s header saved by Courtois after a beautiful ball into the box from Alistair Johnston. Johnston created three chances in the match along with Davies, while Richie Laryea managed four and three others had two, so the chances were there, but the finishing was not.
As the match wore on, it became an issue of finishing moves after working the ball into the box, but there were encouraging signs nonetheless.
 Belgium | – |  Canada |
|---|---|---|
| 53% | Possession | 47% |
| 9 | Total Shots | 22 |
| 3 | Shots on Target | 3 |
| 3 | Shots Wide | 11 |
| 3 | Shots Blocked | 8 |
| 3 | Saves | 2 |
| 4 | Corners | 4 |
| 3 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 11 | Fouls | 14 |
| 0 | Offsides | 1 |
| 83% | Pass Accuracy | 82% |
| 4 | Dribbles | 4 |
| 8 | Crosses | 20 |
| 19 | Tackles | 13 |
Did We Get It Right?
Below you will find all the predictions we made before the matchup, on November 17, 2022.
Canada Make First World Cup Appearance Since 1986
It came as a shock when Canada not only qualified for Qatar 2022 but finished in first place in CONCACAF qualifiers. Alphonso Davies & Co. are now in their first World Cup for over 35 years. They’ll be thrown into the deep end when they open up with European powerhouse Belgium. The Red Devils are still one of the best teams in the world but their golden generation still has a bare trophy case. We’ll review Belgium’s odds to win this match, Group F and beyond in the Belgium vs Canada preview.
Belgium vs Canada
Date, time (TV):
Location: Al-Rayyan Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar
Streaming: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock
Team Standings and Odds:
| Team | FIFA World Ranking | World Cup Qualifying Record | Odds to Advance | Odds to Win Group | Odds to Win World Cup |
| Belgium | 2 | 6-2-0, 1st UEFA Group E | -800 | -160 | +1600 |
| Canada | 41 | 8-4-2, 1st CONCACAF | +275 | +1000 | +20000 |
| All Meetings: | Teams |
|---|---|
| June 1989: | Canada 0-2 Belgium |
Belgium and Canada have only previously met once, back in 1989. Belgium won 2-0 in Ottawa but it was only a friendly. World Cup predictions certainly shouldn’t be made based off of this one match.
Now or Never for Belgium
- Upcoming Matches: Nov. 27 vs. Morocco, Dec. 1 vs. Croatia
Roberto Martinez’s Belgium have made at least the quarterfinals in their last four major tournaments. That includes making the semifinals at the World Cup in 2018. A bunch of players from that squad are still around and the Red Devils are certainly an aging squad. Still, players like Kevin de Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois are world class and can change games on their own. De Bruyne, in particular, is key with his defense-splitting passes. There’s also a case to be made that Courtois is the best keeper in the world. He was instrumental in Real Madrid’s 2022 Champions League title.
Then, there are players like Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard who are matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. These mismatches go a long way toward explaining why Belgium are priced at -160 World Cup Group F odds and -800 to advance. Six active Belgian players also have over 100 caps including Hazard, Lukaku, forward Dries Mertens, midfielder Axel Witsel and defenders Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. With so much experience, it seems like it’s now or never for the Red Devils.
Belgium can likely seal round of 16 qualification just by winning the matches they’re supposed to vs. Canada and Morocco. They also are more than capable of sweeping their group stage matches but Croatia are a tough opponent. Expect the Red Devils to see a whole lot of the ball in their first two matches.
Long Wait Over for Canada
- Upcoming Matches: Nov. 27 vs. Croatia, Dec. 1 vs. Morocco
There’s a whole lot of excitement surrounding this Canada team and not much pressure. In their only other World Cup appearance, Canada lost all three games. It’s taken 36 years to get back to international soccer’s biggest stage but this group can make the wait well worth it. Canada aren’t to be taken lightly as their CONCACAF rivals found out. Les Rogues finished ahead of Mexico, the USA and Costa Rica in CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers and managed wins over all three teams.
Our Belgium vs Canada preview notes that Alphonso Davies is the undisputed star of this Canadian team. The versatile left footed Bayern Munich player will be at the center of everything Canada does. Striker Jonathan David is another standout and the Lille man has 22 goals in 34 international matches. Cyle Larin is another good option up front for Canada. Canada’s captain, Atiba Hutchinson, is the second-oldest player in the entire tournament. He’s played for the national team for nearly 20 years and will finally get to represent his country at a World Cup.
It remains to be seen whether Canada’s defense can hold up vs. the top teams but they can certainly cause problems for their opponents. Canada scored the most goals and conceded the fewest goals in CONCACAF qualifying. Goalkeeper Milan Borjan is solid but he figures to have a lot of work to do vs. both Belgium and Croatia.
Match Analysis and Odds:
Our Belgium vs Canada preview notes that Belgium are one-goal favorites heading into next Wednesday’s match. The Red Devils are priced at -130 odds to cover the spread while Canada sit at +110 odds ATS. With two losses to the Netherlands and a draw at Wales in the recent UEFA Nations League, Belgium have looked a bit vulnerable lately. Only one of their three wins in the competition came by a multi-goal margin.
Belgium also sit at +210 moneyline odds, while Canada show a +600 price to get their first ever World Cup win. Canada are already one of the stories of the tournament and it would be pandemonium if they can pull off the upset. Meanwhile, a draw comes in at +360 odds and it’d be a big disappointment for Belgium.
Canada will undoubtedly have their hands full with whatever combination of attackers Roberto Martinez decides to deploy. Belgium also have Brighton’s Leandro Trossard at their disposal, who’s been excellent this season. We’ve gone the whole preview without mentioning midfielders Youri Tielemans or Yannick Carrasco either, which highlights Belgium’s depth. Belgium sit at -160 odds to score two goals or more. Meanwhile the over/under goal total for the match is listed as 2½. The over is priced at -130 odds and the under comes in at +110. Canada are favored to get their first-ever World Cup goal, at -135 odds. They’ll undoubtedly be a popular team among neutrals during the World Cup.
