Dayne St. Clair had just won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year with Minnesota United FC.
But with the 2026 FIFA World Cup looming and Canada co-hosting, he felt it was time to get uncomfortable.
So, the 29-year-old signed with Inter Miami CF in free agency. The same Inter Miami that had just won MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi. The same Inter Miami led by Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez.
“When I weighed my options, it made the most sense in terms of the preparation not only for my career, but especially for the World Cup, playing in bigger stadiums, more people, more pressure,” St. Clair said on Breakaway presented by AT&T.
“I came here to surround myself with the best of the best.”
And now St. Clair and the CanMNT get to do the same on the world stage. It’s a historic moment for Les Rouges, one he's waited a lifetime for.
“Playing for the youth teams growing up, I’ve always had that push to want to be able to be one of those guys and be able to represent my country,” St. Clair said.
“There’s no bigger honor than to be able to do that on a world stage and represent not only yourself and your family, but a whole country and all those people who are in it.”
Canada will play their first World Cup Group B game near his hometown, against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 in Toronto.
Jesse Marsch’s side then head to Vancouver for matches against Qatar (June 18) and Switzerland (June 24). With a nation behind them, Canada will look for their first-ever World Cup win and more.
“We also know if we win our group, we get to stay in Canada, so that’s a huge incentive for us,” St. Clair said.
“We’re doing things we’ve never done before.”
WATCH: Dayne St. Clair on Breakaway
