Canada coach Jesse Marsch says 50 people warned him after response to Trump

Canada men’s national team manager Jesse Marsch has explained what his life has been like since he publicly stood up to U.S. President Donald Trump over his comments about Canada becoming the 51st American state.

During an exclusive discussion with The Athletic — which features in a special podcast episode  — Marsch reveals he has received support and warnings from friends and colleagues.

In February, the 51-year-old American said Trump’s remarks about turning Canada into the 51st U.S. state were “unsettling and frankly insulting,” that he should “lay off the ridiculous rhetoric” and stop the “arrogance and disregard” shown to a close ally.

“Shortly after that, I had one person say to me that was really brave,” he told The Athletic. “I was like, ‘It’s free speech,’ and then this person said, ‘Yeah, but don’t you worry about somebody coming after you?’ I kind of chuckled a little bit.

“But the 50th person that said that to me made me think, ‘What kind of world are we living in? And what does that mean about the interpretation of what the U.S. government is right now?’

“If that’s the response that 50 different people give me within one week, that’s a concerning theme among people that are Americans.”

Marsch was speaking at the four-team Concacaf Nations League Finals tournament — where Canada finished third, beating the United States 2-1 in the bronze-medal match — in Los Angeles last week. He reaffirmed his commitment to his previous stance during two pre-match news conferences and says he will not shy away from speaking up again.

“What you don’t want is people to get numb to things that they believe strongly about,” he said. “I don’t want to feel that way, but you can’t help — with all the different information that comes out every day — to wonder what is the course of action for the future?”

Marsch is unclear whether Trump is aware of his criticism and accepts he may not care because he is only “a soccer coach.” But his adopted nation has noticed the way he has gone to bat for it. “I think they appreciate that I see the indecency and that I’m willing to speak up about it,” he added.

The former Leeds United manager — who became Canada head coach in May 2024, having previously managed Montreal Impact in MLS — says he is not on a crusade for his own benefit but is speaking up for the broader Canadian community and his own players. “I feel like they deserve to be really appreciated and celebrated for who they are and what they are,” he said.

Marsch does not plan to share his personal beliefs about the political situation in the U.S. on a regular basis, saying it is not his position to do so, “but when it pertains to what it means for my job and the people I represent, I felt it was important, especially as an American, to stand up for a country that — even though it’s not mine — deserves better treatment.”

Trump’s combative rhetoric about a U.S. annexation of northern neighbor Canada and a push for high tariffs on Canadian imports has caused American sportspeople in soccer and ice hockey to be “thrust into a situation they didn’t ask for,” according to Marsch. “The reality is that the international games in North America take on more meaning. Maybe it’s added motivation for each team to play the U.S.”

He feels the climate has “calmed” since the time of his initial response to Trump in February. It followed Canadian fans booing the U.S. national anthem before a match between the two countries in the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey tournament in Montreal. Canada lost that meeting 3-1 but defeated the U.S. 3-2 in the competition’s final in Boston a few days later.

On the morning of their respective soccer teams meeting in LA last Sunday, new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and homegrown film star Mike Myers featured in a campaign video together. Filmed by the side of an ice rink — and referencing the term “Elbows up” — it continued to tap into a sporting link in the build-up to Canada’s national election at the end of next month.

Marsch says the mood could impact the build-up to the 2026 World Cup, which Canada co-hosts with the U.S. and Mexico — who won the Nations League final with a 2-1 win over Panama later last Sunday — and accepts things can change from one day to the next, especially in the current climate. He hopes to be able to concentrate on his main priority, though.

“In the end,” he said, “it’s really important for me that with everything (and) all my opinions, that I’m still entirely focused when I’m in this position to do what I think is best for the team and for what we represent.”

The full interview with Marsch features in a special episode of The Athletic FC podcast called ‘A Divided World Cup: Trump and 2026’, which focuses on the political backdrop to the recent Concacaf Nations League tournament and the political challenges faced by the next World Cup’s co-hosts. It also includes contributions from Canada’s goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair and the nation’s World Cup 2026 organizer Peter Montopoli. Former MLS star and ex-Montreal Impact head coach Thierry Henry, USMNT’s Tim Ream, former Mexico international Carlos Vela and Concacaf president Victor Montagliani are some of the others who feature in the hour-long documentary.

(Top photo: Hector Vivas/Getty Images)