Once a South Korea coaching candidate, Jesse Marsch leads Canada to first-ever World Cup round of 16

Jesse Marsch, once considered a candidate to coach South Korea's national team, is making waves at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America as the man steering Canada's remarkable run.

Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 Sunday at Los Angeles Stadium in California in the round of 32.

Having already made history by advancing out of Group B in second place — Canada's first-ever World Cup knockout-stage appearance — the team then eliminated South Africa to become the first side to reach the round of 16 at this tournament.

Marsch is by far the driving force behind Canada's surge. The American coach built his reputation in Europe at Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, RB Leipzig in Germany and Leeds United in England. During his time at Salzburg, he worked with South Korea international Hwang Hee-chan.

That pedigree made Marsch a candidate for the South Korea coaching job in 2024. However, negotiations broke down over details including residency conditions. Marsch subsequently took charge of Canada, while the Korea Football Association turned to Hong Myung-bo to lead the national team.

Marsch and Hong have ended up with starkly contrasting records at the 2026 World Cup. Marsch guided Canada to their first-ever round of 16, while Hong's South Korea failed to advance past the round of 32. Korea had opened the group stage with a 2-1 comeback win over the Czech Republic, but then fell to consecutive defeats against Mexico and South Africa — a side widely regarded as the weaker team. Following the early exit, Hong announced Sunday that he was stepping down as national team head coach.