The United States men's national soccer team defeated Canada 1-0 in an international friendly held in St. Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday night. This result extended the U.S. record against their northern rivals in sports this year, following earlier victories in ice hockey and baseball.
The match marked the final game of the U.S. international break, during which the team remained undefeated. This stretch concluded a period that began with a Round of 16 loss to Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Christian Pulisic did not play in the match against Canada, continuing his rehabilitation from a bone bruise and microfracture sustained in that earlier World Cup defeat.
Justin Ellis, a 19-year-old forward from Florida who plays for Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer, scored the only goal of the match. Ellis finished a cross from Alex Freeman in the 29th minute to give the U.S. the lead. The goal was Ellis' second during this series of friendlies, after he scored a free-kick in his debut appearance against Peru.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino called Ellis up to the senior squad for friendlies against Peru, Chile, and Mexico before the Canada match. The player was selected to gain international experience, a decision notable because Diego Forlán, head coach of Uruguay, visited Ellis the week prior to the matches. Ellis is eligible to represent Uruguay through his mother but appeared to integrate naturally with the U.S. team.
Prior to facing Canada, the U.S. recorded dominant results in its other friendly matches. The team defeated Peru 4-1, beat Chile 4-2, and won against Mexico 3-0. These performances concluded the international break with the squad returning to their respective clubs.
The victory over Canada adds to a string of U.S. wins against Canada in various sports this year. The most prominent of these were gold medals in men's and women's ice hockey at the Winter Olympics. Additionally, the U.S. defeated Canada 5-3 in the group stage of the World Baseball Classic shortly after winning Olympic gold.