Many Canadian soccer fans have been waiting for this moment their entire lives.
Long overshadowed by ice hockey in Canada, the country's soccer team is back at the World Cup for the first time since 1986. And it will be a very difficult game in return. It will meet on Wednesday from 20:00 with Belgium, the semi-finalist of 2018.
"I've already seen a lot of interest in the young players, the 7-8 year olds, some of them in my family," said Canada's captain, Atiba Hutchinson, on Tuesday.
"Only the interest that has been aroused in our country is special to see. I have been with representatives for a long time and the interest has never been at this level".
Hutchinson, 39, is the only Canadian player alive when the team's last World Cup game was played. Canada had lost to France, Hungary and the Soviet Union. He hadn't even scored a single goal.
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"We want to put Canada on the map," Hutchinson said.
His earliest memories of football are from the World Cup in the USA. He had supported Brazil, which also won the World Cup.
"I was there. The fans in the stadium, around the stadium, it was special to see. That World Cup sparked a lot of interest in me and gave me hope that one day I will play in this event", added the Canadian captain.
Canada, however, will be led by a new generation that includes Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Cyre Larin. The Canadians were first in the CONCACAF qualifiers. Canada coach John Herdman led the Canadian women's soccer team to bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. In 2018, he took over the national team.
"It's a dream come true for me, for the players, for the country," said Herdman. "We will enjoy the experience and be glad that there are people at home to see us through."
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Herdman has said that the biggest star, Davis, is fully fit and will start. He has been out for a few weeks with an injury.
"Canada is able to start with the strongest team. It's an exciting time for us," said Herdman.
Part of Group F, which also includes Croatia and Morocco, Belgium is being managed by Roberto Martinez in his seventh year. The Belgians finished in third place at the 2018 World Cup, while they were stopped by Italy in the quarter-finals at last year's European Championship.
The last chance for success in the World Cup for the golden generation of Belgium is assessed.
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Romelu Lukaku will not play on Wednesday due to an injury. Belgium comes off the back of a 2:1 friendly defeat by Egypt last week.
"That match gave us the awakening we needed", coach Martinez said about that match.
