Live updates: Canada takes on Switzerland in final World Cup group game

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Referee Ramon Abatti blows his whistle, Canada kicks us off and away we go in Vancouver!

Vancouver's prized stadium is coloured red as far as the eyes can see — at least, that's what it looks like on TV!

It probably helps that the Swiss contingent also dresses in red. But it's probably safe to assume most of them are dressed in Canadian red (even if the men on the pitch are in all-white kits).

It's a fitting look for a monumental match in Canadian men's soccer — and the rendition of the Canadian anthem meets the moment too!

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his wife, Diana Fox Carney, are back to cheer on Canada. The prime minister waved at the crowd ahead of the match.

Ahead of the game, B.C. Place often pipes in music to get fans pumped up. Before the opening kickoff of the Australia-Turkey match, for instance, Men at Work's Down Under played through the stadium sound system, inspiring thousands of Socceroos fans to sing about Vegemite sandwiches.

So, what gets Swiss fans going? Ahead of the game, fans of the Nati sang along to Bring En Hei by Swiss pop singer Baschi.

In the spirit of equal time, Tom Cochrane's Life Is a Highway came on, complete with a reference to "Vancouver's lights."

With opening kickoff minutes away, the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army came on, sending all fans into a frenzy.

Meanwhile, in Vancouver, this Team Canada fan is bringing the heat with her sign ranking Timbits above Swiss chocolate. 

Just minutes to go until kickoff.

I'm reporting from the Canada Soccer House in North Vancouver.

We're expecting a capacity crowd of 5,000 people here. The lineup to get inside snaked around the block before it even opened at 10 a.m.

The viewing area has filled up. A DJ is getting the crowd going as people eagerly anticipate kickoff. Many fans I've spoken with are extremely confident Canada will punch its ticket to the knockout stage.

Players on both teams were sweating as they took the field to warm up. The roof is closed at B.C. Place as it will be for all World Cup matches to ensure consistency for television broadcasts, according to FIFA. 

One of the biggest cheers from the crowd came when the stadium screen showed the tournament's top scorers with Canada's Jonathan David tied for fourth with three goals. His hat trick against Qatar has him tied for fourth in goals with Germany's Deniz Undav.

As Jan mentioned earlier, there has been an average of around three goals per game at this 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Canada (seven goals) and Switzerland (five goals) have contributed significantly to that, thanks to big wins over Qatar and Bosnia-Herzegovina, respectively. With coach Jesse Marsch cautioning against playing for a draw today, expect goals as both teams vie for top spot in Group B.

Who are the most likely scorers? On the Canadian side, the two main strikers finally seem to be finding their footing. Captain Jonathan David is fresh off of a historic hat-trick against Qatar, while Cyle Larin has scored in both of Les Rouges' 2026 World Cup matches.

For the Swiss, 20-year-old wonderkid scored twice off the bench in their 4-1 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Captain Granit Xhaka, Rubén Vargas and Breel Embolo could also find the next. All three of them have scored more than 10 goals for the European side, including a goal each in this tournament. 

When it comes to predicting the outcome of games at the World Cup, you could put your faith in star players, experienced analysts — or, perhaps, a goldfish. 

Swimbappe the goldfish is a Toronto addition to a long line of animals who appear to have had a knack for correctly picking the winners of World Cup games. 

For today's match, the little orange fish has predicted Les Rouges will pull off another win. 

How does he make his predictions, you may ask? 

"Then the side of the tank that he swims to is his prediction, and we lock that in, and we don't question him."

Glenn estimates Swimbappe has chosen correctly in about 70 per cent of the games so far — including Canada's win against Qatar last week.

Swimbappe's three-second memory also means "he's incapable of forming a bias," Glenn added.

"So his predictions are unimpeachable for that reason."

Canada's Niko Sigur cheered on by his Burnaby elementary school

I'm at a watch party at St. Helen's Elementary School in Burnaby, B.C.

I spoke to eight-year-old Nathaniel Silva who decided to wear a Koné shirt today to help pray for a fast recovery. This second grader's World Cup knowledge is elite – he can run down all of the World Cup winners in chronological order — and predicts a Canada win for 2026. 

Some people here aren't watching just for the big match. They're also celebrating former student and star footballer, Niko Sigur who was born and raised in Burnaby.

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