Canadian men to play No. 2 France in soccer friendly

The Canadian men’s soccer team is getting another high-profile test in advance of this summer’s Copa America.

Canada Soccer has confirmed the 49th-ranked Canadians will play No. 2 France on June 9 at the Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux, a 42,115-capacity stadium that is home to Ligue 2’s FC Girondins de Bordeaux. The France game comes three days after a previously announced friendly with the seventh-ranked Netherlands in Rotterdam.

Canada is preparing for Copa America, where it is one of six CONCACAF guest teams at the South American championship that runs June 20 to July 14 in 14 U.S. cities. France and the Netherlands are gearing up for Euro 24, which kicks off June 14 in Germany.

With Canada opening Copa America against No. 1 Argentina on June 20 in Atlanta, the Canadian men will face three top-10 teams in two weeks.

“It’s amazing,” said Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio, who has won 71 caps for Canada. “These are top, top teams in the world. As a competitor, it what’s you want. It’s the only way to get better. It’s the only way to improve and to really reach your potential level.

“This is what this team needs. This team needs to battle against the best, so that we can really get a taste for how it feels to be in games like that.”

L’Equipe, the French sports daily, reported earlier this month that a France-Canada friendly was in the works as the last test for Didier Deschamps’ squad ahead of its Euro Group D opener against No. 25 Austria on June 17.

The Canadian men have faced France just once before, in their first-ever game at the FIFA World Cup in 1986 in Mexico. A star-studded French side needed a 79th-minute goal by JeanPierre Papin to win 1-0.

The June games represent Canada’s highest-ranked opponents since the 2022 World Cup when the Canadian men lost 1-0 to then-second-ranked Belgium.

Canada also faces No. 32 Peru and No. 42 Chile in Group A play at Copa America.

After Copa America, the Canadians are set to face No. 14 Mexico during the September international window with the Sept. 10 game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Canada Soccer says the Argentina, France and Netherlands games will bring the number of current top-20 opponents Canada will have faced to nine in a little more than 18 months, joining Belgium (No. 3), Croatia (No. 10), the U.S. (No. 11), Morocco (No. 13), Uruguay (No. 15) and Japan (No. 18).