As Canada begins a World Cup year, three Canadian Premier League players have been included in the country's first senior men's national team squad of 2026.
Atlético Ottawa defender Noah Abatneh, Halifax Wanderers forward Tiago Coimbra and Inter Toronto winger Shola Jimoh all earned the call, and are off to Irvine, Calif. to begin a training camp on Jan. 8. Canada also play an international friendly against Guatemala on Saturday, Jan. 17 in Los Angeles (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on OneSoccer).
Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr., and Atlético Ottawa goalkeeping coach Romuald Peiser will join Jesse Marsch's technical staff for the camp.
Here is everything you need to know about the three CPL players in CanMNT camp:
Noah Abatneh
Club: Atlético Ottawa
Position: Central Defender
Age: 21
Born: Toronto, Ont.
One of the Canadian Premier League's top defenders at just 21 years of age, Abatneh becomes the first active Atlético Ottawa player to be called up by the senior Canadian men's national team.
Watch the way he marshalled the backline for the CPL champions this past season, and it is easy to see why that call came. Exceptional on the ball, he led the Canadian Premier League in successful passes this season, with 1,855 and completed 95.6 per cent of his passes.
Abatneh has pulled on Canada red at the youth level, representing the U-20s back in 2022. He also has a strong international pedigree, coming through both the Roma and Lazio academies.
Tiago Coimbra
Club: Halifax Wanderers
Position: Forward
Age: 21
Born: Fortaleza, Brazil
The man who once wore 'Canadá' on the back of his kit while playing in Brazil to honour his heritage has received his first Canadian men's national team call-up. Born in Fortaleza, Brazil, he developed through the famed Palmeiras academy -- whose recent products include the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Estévão and Endrick.
He turned pro with the Halifax Wanderers in 2023, and has since played 64 matches with them in all competitions. After struggling with injuries for the better part of two seasons, he was not only healthy but dominant in 2025. Coimbra scored 12 goals and added three assists during the campaign, winning the league's Best Canadian U-21 Player of the Year award.
The 21-year-old previously represented Canada at the U-20 level in 2022, scoring against Saint Kitts and Nevis at the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship.
Shola Jimoh
Club: Inter Toronto
Position: Winger
Age: 17
Born: Newcastle, UK
At just 17 years of age, and with 41 professional appearances under his belt already with the Canadian Premier League's Inter Toronto, Shola Jimoh is used to being the youngest guy in the room. That will be the case again during Canada's January camp.
This is the second time that Jimoh has been called up to train with the senior national team, doing so in November 2024. This, however, is the first time he's officially been named to a squad. With Inter Toronto this season, he had three assists, adding a fourth in the playoffs.
He has pulled on the Canadian national team kit several times at the youth level, however, with 20 caps between the Canadian U-15, U-17 and U-20 teams. He recently represented Canada at the FIFA U-17 World Cup, scoring a goal against Chile as Canada made history by winning a match, and advancing from the group stage, for the first time.
