Joshua Kloke
@joshuakloke
Staff writer @TheAthletic (Maple Leafs/Canada’s men’s national team) • Amateur pizzaiolo, there’ll be homemade pie photos
869 Following 14.4K Followers
MLS says it's ready to "take it from here." But is it?
Examining MLS's post-World Cup path forward.
Part 1: The podcast version -
Part 2: The Athletic feature -
Part 3: The book -
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There is something incredibly special about your first World Cup.
It shapes the way you think about the sport, enlarging your soccer horizons, unspooling storylines of heroism and heartbreak.
So for @joshuakloke, watching the tournament unfold through the eyes of his seven-year-old son was a reminder of what it feels like to fall in love with this frustrating, joyous game all over again.
🔗
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Random thought on third place match: Canada was in 24 Copa America 3rd place. Marsch’s first player on team sheet: 18 y/o Luc de Fougerolles.
Experience gained, even in a meaningless game, was valuable.
Two years later? De Fougerolles was one of Canada’s best World Cup players.
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This was my seven-year-old son’s first World Cup. And it warped his reality of what’s possible in the game he loves.
At the behest of editors, I watched the World Cup through his eyes and didn’t want to stop seeing what he did.
Unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
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🇨🇦 A campaign beset with issues from the outset
🇨🇦 A squad united by the loss of Ismael Kone to injury
🇨🇦 How the Alphonso Davies 'decoy' backfired
🇨🇦 Stephen Eustaquio: leader
Jesse Marsch called his team "heroes" for inspiring a generation of children in a way previous Canada squads couldn't.
@JoshuaKloke tells the story of the co-hosts' World Cup ⬇️
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“When are you going to write another Canadian soccer book?”
Consider this the next chapter: the detailed, inside story of Canada’s World Cup run.
What happened, what you didn’t see and how #CANMNT# truly became “heroes.”
Unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
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Yesterday, the biggest tournament in the world had its final game in Canada.
And the World Cup left Canadian soccer changed.
Is Canada finally a “soccer country,” whatever that means? After this summer, it certainly seems so.
Unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
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Man, sitting in Vancouver watching Colombia-Switzerland slog it out, you wonder what could have been if #CANMNT# topped the group. Colombia look beatable.
Yes, every World Cup is full of coulda woulda shoulda moments. But one more Canada goal might have really changed things...
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Canada's 2026 World Cup was a success.
But what happens next will determine whether it was an anomaly, or whether that success is sustainable.
The crucial next steps for Canadian soccer, unlocked at @TheAthleticFC #CANMNT#
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Canada's 2026 World Cup was a success.
But what happens next will determine whether it was an anomaly, or whether that success is sustainable.
The crucial next steps for Canadian soccer, unlocked at @TheAthleticFC #CANMNT#
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Canada’s World Cup is over with their loss to Morocco.
But don’t call their tournament anything but a success.
#CANMNT# changed the sport over a few weeks. And that should be recognized.
From Houston, as the run ends, unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
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Canada's World Cup is over, but there is reason for promise in the future of Canadian soccer: @TheAthleticFC #CANMNT#
Cyle Larin looks to be entering for #CANMNT#
All things considered, maybe Canada's most compelling half under Jesse Marsch? #CANMNT#
Lame pre-match earnestness, take cover: I've written tens of thousands of words through Canada's World Cup and have felt grateful smashing the keyboard every single time.
Sincerely hope @TheAthleticFC readers have enjoyed the ride as much I have. #CANMNT#
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Take this for what you will, Canada, but the Canadian food in the press box is drawing better reviews than the Moroccan food… #CANMNT#
“This is a team that has literally zero weaknesses.”
Canada is acting like the underdog for a rare moment in this World Cup. Will that attitude help #CANMNT# in their first ever Round of 16 game?
Unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
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Just nine years ago, Canada's men's national team were ranked 120th in the world.
Tomorrow, they're in the World Cup Round of 16.
This almost never happens. How did #CANMNT# do it?
Inside Canada's dramatic turnaround, unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
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Canada against Morocco in the World Cup Round of 16: what to expect? Can #CANMNT# pull off the upset?
With @ThomHarris_, unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
Canada against Morocco in the World Cup Round of 16: what to expect? Can #CANMNT# pull off the upset?
With @ThomHarris_, unlocked at @TheAthleticFC
