Ahead of Nations League, history of the USA-Canada rivalry in men's soccer

Jozy Altidore - USMNT - CAN MNT - United States - Canada

In women's soccer, USA-Canada is one of the great rivalries in the world right now, with the USWNT winning most of the time but Canada providing perhaps the best test consistently over the past three decades.


But what's the situation for the men's side of the border rivalry? Believe it or not, it's relatively close all-time. With the teams set to renew tensions after being drawn into Group A of League A of the inaugural Concacaf Nations League, the USMNT hold a 16-9-10 edge over Les Rouges all-time. That mark is even more stark in the American modern era (post-1990), as the Yanks are unbeaten in 15 meetings in that period. In fact, the streak runs back even further, totaling 17 games dating back to April 1985.


The last time the CanMNT beat the USMNT on senior level was April 2, 1985, in a friendly. It was arguably the peak era of Canadian men's soccer, as they reached their only World Cup to date in 1986.


One change with the Concacaf Nations League is that Canada will host a competitive game in the rivalry for the first time since 1997, when the teams met in the Hexagonal round of 1998 World Cup qualifying. The US won that game at Swangard Stadium in Vancouver, 3-0.


Aside from the Nations League, which will kick off in the fall, there is a chance the US and Canada could meet in the Concacaf Gold Cup this summer. The USMNT, who are hosting the bulk of the tournament again this year, are seeded in Group D and Canada's group stage placement will be made at the draw on April 10 in Los Angeles.