Alphonso Davies Chooses Honeymoon Over National Team Duty
Alphonso Davies has swapped national-team duty for a honeymoon, and Canada are on board with it.
Between the World Cup and the start of pre-season at Bayern Munich, the 25-year-old married his partner Sheyenne Jen in Paris on 23 July. The couple now plan to mark the occasion with a trip together, and that means Canada’s captain will sit out the three upcoming friendlies against Chile, Peru and the USA.
This is not a standoff. It is a plan.
Coach Jesse Marsch made it clear the decision came after open talks between player and staff. “We talked about whether he should spend half of the training camp on his honeymoon and then join us. But I simply felt that it was important for him to enjoy his honeymoon first and then continue working on his physical condition and form,” Marsch said.
A body pushed to the limit
The context matters. Davies has been through a brutal stretch.
He tore his cruciate ligament at the start of 2025 while on duty with Canada, an injury that sidelined him for three quarters of the year. When he finally returned, new problems followed. Recurring health issues disrupted his rhythm, and a muscle fibre tear kept him out for Bayern in the closing stages of last season.
For Canada, the timing was cruel. At the long-awaited home World Cup, their star left-back managed just 16 minutes.
Back in Munich, he initially worked alone, still hampered by the injury. The rebuild was slow, deliberate. Then the spark returned.
Davies has recently looked like himself again, capping his resurgence with a sharp goal in Bayern’s 5-0 win over FK Bodö/Glimt. The acceleration, the confidence, the clean finish – all the old trademarks were back.
Marsch has taken note. “He is playing really well, looks very fit and feels very good,” the Canada coach said. “That is why we wanted to make sure in every respect that in November, when we need him for some important matches, and then in March as well as throughout the entire next cycle, he is so well prepared in every respect that he can always fully commit himself to what we expect from him for the national team.”
So the friendlies can wait. The calendar cannot.
Bayern first, Canada later
For now, Davies’ immediate focus is Bayern. He is set to face Union Berlin in Munich on Friday, a chance to extend his renewed form in front of home fans. After that, the schedule eases: Bayern’s next match does not come until 10 October, away at Augsburg.
Canada, meanwhile, will test themselves against South American opposition and a familiar regional rival without their captain. These are useful matches, but not season-defining ones.
The real judgment will come in November and beyond, when the games start to carry weight and Canada expect their left-back, rested and rebuilt, to lead them again at full tilt.
