Is it time for Canada to unleash Niko Sigur at the World Cup?
Sigur might get a chance to start his first World Cup match when Canada tussles with Morocco on Saturday in the round of 16.
Like a lot of players on the Canadian men’s team, Niko Sigur has had to patiently bide his time for opportunities at the FIFA World Cup.
An unused substitute in Canada’s opening two games, Sigur came off the bench for the final seven minutes of the Group B finale, a 2-1 loss to Switzerland in Vancouver. Then in Canada’s 1-0 win over South Africa in the round of 32 in Los Angeles last weekend, Sigur replaced Nathan Saliba in the 58th minute and put in a solid shift, registering one key pass and making a defensive clearance.
That Sigur, a 22-year-old native of B.C., has been relegated to the role of bench player for Canada at the World Cup comes as a bit of surprise given how much coach Jesse Marsch relied upon him in the buildup to the tournament.
In Canada’s opener at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup last summer, Sigur earned his second start in only his sixth appearance for his country and marked the occasion with his first international goal in a memorable 6-0 win over Honduras in Vancouver. Sigur went on to start in each of Canada’s next 11 games, adding a second goal to his resume, before being brought off the bench in June in each of the team’s final two friendlies before the World Cup.
