Canada coach Jesse Marsch says Americans 'inundated with propaganda' ahead of U.S. friendly
The American-born coach made the comments in a wide-ranging interview as Canada prepares to face the 16th-ranked U.S. team in Minnesota.
Explainer
Canada men's soccer coach Jesse Marsch said Americans are "inundated with propaganda" and feel entitled to special treatment ahead of his team's friendly against the United States on Tuesday. "We, as Americans, have been inundated with propaganda since we were young," Marsch, who is from Racine, Wisc., told The Guardian. "We’re the No. 1 country in the world, we deserve everything, we dominate everything, No. 1 in every aspect of life. This is what we’ve been told." He added that when things don't go their way, Americans "feel like we deserve to be treated differently because we're Americans. That is one of the things that infuriates the rest of the world about Americans." Marsch addressed the comments at a press conference on Monday, acknowledging he is not afraid to speak his mind.
"I think we know I'm not afraid to say things that I think sometimes need to be said or that I feel should be said, whether people agree with them or not," he said.
"This is why everyone around the world hates America," Marsch said. "That was proven to be so. The U.S. had had a good World Cup, was doing well. All that switched in one moment."
What is the context for the upcoming match?
The 27th-ranked Canadian team faces the 16th-ranked U.S. in an exhibition match in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday. Both nations co-hosted the World Cup this summer and both were eliminated in the round of 16. Canada is coming off a pair of clean sheets in this international window, having beaten Chile 1-0 on Sept. 26 and Peru 2-0 in Montreal on Saturday.
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The U.S. is 3-0-0 in the current window with wins over Chile, Peru and Mexico. Tuesday's game marks the first meeting since March 2025, when Canada beat the U.S. 2-1 to finish third in the CONCACAF Nations League in Los Angeles. Canada also won the previous matchup in September 2024, 2-1 in Kansas City. Marsch said the rivalry is currently strong because both teams are good, and his players do not need reminders of the game's importance. He also referenced current political tensions, including talk of renaming Lake Ontario.
"Here we are now, the big talk in America is Lake Ontario, Lake America, this kind of crap," the coach said.
How did Marsch address his role as an American coaching Canada?
"Look, I'm American. But I'm honoured and really proud to be the Canadian national team coach," he said Monday.
"I've taken that on as something that I take very seriously. And when I believe that there's things that need to be said and stood up for, then I do that," he said.
He added, "Do I cross the line sometimes? Yeah, probably. But so what? So what? If the team's ready to play on the weekend, then we should all be happy." Marsch also commented on the financial scandal involving English Premier League club Manchester City.
"I think Man City should be punished severely. I think they should have to go down, and, by the way, everyone knew about it. Everyone knew," Marsch said.
With files from CBC News and Sportsnet