Canada seeks to celebrate the national football team's journey in the 2026 World Cup, when it hosts Chile and Peru for two exhibition matches later this year, as coach Jesse Marsch hopes for a heroic welcome. The Canadian Soccer Association announced Wednesday that the team will host Chile in Toronto on September 26 before moving to Montreal to face Peru on October 3. The two exhibition matches mark Canada's return home after a historic performance in the World Cup, as it won its first match in the men's finals with a 6-0 victory over Qatar, and advanced to the knockout stage for the first time. Coach Marsch said in a statement: 'The momentum we have created for this sport in the country over the past few months has been amazing.' He added: 'We could not have achieved that without our fans, and these matches are an opportunity to thank them and continue building on what we have achieved in the World Cup. We hope to see Canadians celebrating this team with a heroes' welcome and attending in large numbers in the fall.' Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in its opening match of the expanded tournament, earning its first point in the men's World Cup. Canada finished second in Group B to ensure qualification for the knockout stage for the first time after a crushing 6-0 win over Qatar and a 2-1 loss to Switzerland. Canada waited until the end to score against South Africa in a 1-0 win in the round of 32, but its journey ended with a 0-3 loss to Morocco in the round of 16.