Canada Meets Belgium in 1st World Cup Match Since 1986

Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between the Netherlands and Belgium at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam on Sept. 25, 2022. Peter Dejong/AP Photo

DOHA, Qatar—Many Canadian soccer fans have been waiting for this moment their entire lives.

Long an afterthought behind hockey in their home country, Canada’s soccer team is back in the World Cup for the first time since 1986 and it opens Wednesday against a daunting opponent: Belgium, a 2018 semifinalist and second in the FIFA rankings.