Canada’s men’s national team head coach, American Jesse Marsch, knew what he was doing when he called out U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the Concacaf Nations League finals.
While the tournament brings critical prep for the three FIFA World Cup 2026 hosts and a chance to win a trophy, it means much more. In less than a year as Canada’s head coach, the Wisconsin-raised Marsch has it at the top of his mind.
No, this isn’t just another tournament.
“These international tournaments for Canada mean something different now,” Marsch said in Los Angeles, his blazer pin emblazoned with Canada Soccer’s maple leaf-clad crest.
As much as soccer may want to kick politics over the touchline, the game exists in the world. With Trump threatening Canada with 25% tariffs and annexation, the 2025 CNL Finals could offer some geopolitically charged soccer matches.
“If I have one message to our President, it's lay off the ridiculous rhetoric about Canada being the 51st state,” Marsch continued. “As an American, I find it unsettling and, frankly, insulting.
“Canada is a strong, independent nation that's deeply rooted in decency, and it's a place that values high ethics and respect, unlike the polarized, disrespectful and often now, hate-fueled climate that's in the U.S.”
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President Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “governor” while proposing to annex America’s northern neighbor. Canadians have responded by booing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events and limiting their spending on American goods and services.
It all reached a fever pitch when the United States beat Canada in a fight-filled preliminary hockey game at the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Canada responded with a cathartic overtime win in the championship game, prompting comments from both countries’ leaders.
Sports have provided the forum for political discourse for generations, authoring some of the best moments fans yearn to remember. Beyond the recent hockey games, think of 1980’s Miracle on Ice, Canada’s 1972 Summit Series win, or Jesse Owens’ Black Power salute at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany.
Similar tensions may be present at SoFi Stadium. USMNT superstar Christian Pulisic was one of several American athletes who imitated Trump’s dance, doing it during a goal celebration against Jamaica in November.
"I'm ashamed of the arrogance and disregard that we've shown one of our historically oldest, strongest and most loyal allies," Marsch said Wednesday.
"But one thing's for sure, when I look forward to a month from now, I know that this will fuel our team — the mentality we have, the will we have to play for our country, the desire we have to go after this tournament in every way and to show on and off the pitch exactly what Canadian character is.”
Marsch has taken his Canada role in stride
When Marsch took the Canada job, he did so because it was an enviable gig as a coach. Now, after a run to the Copa América semifinals in his debut tournament, he’s become a vital voice in a country he doesn’t even call home.
“For me, right now, I couldn’t be prouder to be the Canadian national team coach, and I’ve found a place that embodies for me the ideas and morals of not just what football and a team is, but what life is,” he said, “That’s integrity, respect and the belief that good people can do great things together."
“I’ve learned a lot along this whole journey," Marsch told TSN. "But it was evident [during the 4 Nations Face-Off] that Canadian pride and nationalism is strong, maybe stronger than it's ever been, and it’s important for me as the national team coach to share the way I feel and to also exemplify that.”
Marsch’s experience across Canada
In recent months, Marsch travelled to nearly every province to visit with local communities and learn about the game in Canada, bringing new perspectives after previously coaching MLS side CF Montréal in Québec, Canada’s lone French-speaking province.
From the CanMNT to his travels, he’s seen a culturally diverse country, which Marsch believes has directly benefited Canada’s soccer rise.
“Canada values a lot of fairness and unity,” he said. “It's a place that I've learned as the Canadian coach where people believe that their differences make them stronger, and honestly, one of the things that I've enjoyed the most about our team is that they exemplify this as human beings and as a team.
“They're almost all first and second-generation Canadians coming from different heritage and cultures, but they uniquely are incredibly proud to be Canadian, to represent their country, to give everything to each other and the love they have for each other and playing for their country.”
Canada’s two best players, Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, are first-generation immigrants, while several other key players have also adopted the country as their own in recent generations.
It’s a similar situation for the USMNT. However, U.S. Soccer’s Vice President of Sporting, Oguchi Onyewu, sidestepped the political question, opting to focus on the tournament.
Mexico’s head coach Javier Aguirre spoke on it. After some hesitation, he mentioned his Basque parents, who fled Spain after the civil war from 1936 to '39.
“It’s not easy to leave your country looking for a better life for your family,” the 66-year-old Mexican manager said in Spanish.
“My parents suffered after the war, and that is happening here. I really identify with the people who come here and are looking for a life, for the American dream. I respect and am thankful for the support. I have a huge respect for Mexicans, children and grandchildren of Mexicans who are here and support us, and we try to give them joy that day.”
Canada's American-born manager Jesse Marsch says he is "ashamed" of US President Donald Trump's repeated comments about making Canada the 51st state.#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/s1SWzqWONa
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 27, 2025
Less than a month before what was already a hotly contested tournament between Canada, Mexico, the United States and Panama, the Nations League has become so much more than sport and 2026 World Cup preparation.
It has emerged as a battle of ideals, sovereignty and national identity—especially if the USMNT clashes with the CanMNT in the final.
“You can bet on the fact that this group isn’t going to back down; they are prepared for this and excited for it,” Marsch told TSN. “In the end, all of this still has to lead to our ability to perform when the games come, and the lights are on the brightest, especially with our eyes towards the 2026 World Cup ... in the end, that’s what I care about the most.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jesse Marsch and Trump's 51st State: Canada Coach Rebuts President's Remarks.
