Kathmandu, June 19 : Forward Jonathan David scored the first hat-trick of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as Canada secured a dominant 6-0 victory over nine-man Qatar on Friday, earning their first win of the tournament.
Playing at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada produced a commanding performance, with David scoring three goals, while Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba added one each. Qatar also conceded an own goal as Canada ran riot.
Canada took the lead in the 16th minute through Larin before David doubled the advantage in the 29th minute.
Qatar’s task became even more difficult four minutes later when Homam Ahmed was sent off. The referee initially awarded a yellow card for a foul, but after a VAR review determined the challenge had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, the decision was upgraded to a straight red card.
David struck again in first-half stoppage time to give Canada a comfortable 3-0 lead heading into the break.
Qatar were reduced to nine men early in the second half when midfielder Assim Madibo received a straight red card following a reckless challenge, with the referee confirming the decision after another VAR review.
Canada continued to dominate and extended their lead in the 64th minute when Saliba curled a superb direct free-kick into the net. An own goal by Mohammed Al Mannai in the 75th minute made it 5-0 before David completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to cap a memorable night for the hosts.
The victory moves Canada to the top of Group B with four points from two matches, significantly boosting their hopes of reaching the knockout stage. Qatar, meanwhile, remain bottom of the group with just one point from their opening two games.
