Vancouver FC’s TJ Tahid will represent Canada on the biggest soccer stage at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia this November. The tournament marks Tahid’s first experience at a FIFA-sanctioned competition to cap off an impressive and historic inaugural professional season.
Tahid’s international duties began only a few months ago when the native of Maple Ridge was selected to join a two-match friendly series against Brazil at the end of September. He made his Canadian debut on September 29th as a starter, playing a total of 62 minutes in the first match, and made his second Canadian appearance as a second-half substitute on October 1st.
It's #canm17 Matchday 🍁
Canada open their 2-match friendly series versus Brazil's U-17 Men in São Paulo.
Swipe for Starting XI ➡️ pic.twitter.com/Ywa18dEv7Z
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) September 29, 2023
The 16-year-old was then invited to Canada’s pre-tournament preparation camp at the end of October. It was there that Tahid was selected to be part of the 21-man roster for the World Cup under the watchful eye of U-17 coach Andrew Olivieri. Tahid is only one of two CPL players to be joining the squad along with Forge FC’s Kevaughn Tavernier, who just won the 2023 CPL North Star Cup.
The World Cup kicks off on Friday, November 10th for Canada when they take on their first Group B opponent, Spain. Canada will also face Uzbekistan on Monday, November 13th followed by Mali on Thursday, November 16th. Canada must finish first or second in Group B or be one of the four best teams among those ranked third to qualify for the round of 16.
The remainder of the tournament schedule will see the round of 16 completed on November 21st, the quarterfinals set for November 24th and November 25th, and the semifinals scheduled for November 28th. There will be a match on December 1st to determine the third place finisher with the tournament final being played on December 2nd.
Tahid has a chance to be a part of Canadian history once again as Canada has never made it out of the group stage in any FIFA U-17 World Cup nor have they secured a victory at the tournament. Either feat will add another historic milestone to Tahid’s resume which already includes being the youngest Canadian Premier League (CPL) signing, youngest CPL player, and youngest CPL goalscorer.
Fans can follow Tahid and Canada’s World Cup journey on all the digital platforms using the hashtag #canm17.
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