Dayne St. Clair hitting new heights in push to be CanMNT's World Cup no. 1: 'I know what's at stake'
With the World Cup now just over a year away, a big 12 months awaits several CanMNT players.
For some, the next year will be about maintaining form and staying healthy, as they have a strong idea of what their role will look like at next year’s tournament.
In goal, however, head coach Jesse Marsch is yet to decide who will take the reins for his team in that tournament, as he’s rotated through Dayne St.Clair and Maxime Crépeau since his arrival, with St.Clair playing seven matches, and Crépeau eight.
Because of that, an open competition remains for that #1 spot, as both are vying to be the guy that Marsch calls upon to lead Canada out at BMO Field for their World Cup opener on June 12th of 2026, and the rest of the games from there.
Despite that, there isn’t a rivalry brewing between St.Clair and Crépeau. Having been part of this Canadian team together for four years, they’ve had the chance to build up a pretty special bond, one that began when they were both working together to support old starter Milan Borjan.
While both are battling to get the net ahead of the other, ultimately they support each other and want what’s best for the team - safe to say, it’s made for a unique partnership, as St.Clair put it.
“Yeah, I think first and foremost, we have a lot of respect for each other, and I think that makes it a lot easier,” St.Clair told OneSoccer after Minnesota United’s draw vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps last month. “We know that we do all this work so that our name is called by the end of day, but that's up to the coach to make the call, so there’s no resentment towards the other person, because I'd be naive to think that he wants me to play instead of him, and he'd be naive to say the opposite as well.”
“So I think that bond between us comes from the fact that we have a lot of respect, and that there's no resentment between each other and, and whoever's number is called, we support that person, he’s supported me, I've supported him, it’s gone a little bit back and forth recently, but I think also that's what gets the best out of us because we know that that other person that doesn't get called is just waiting for their opportunity.”
“I think that positive connection between us kind of pushes us, and this is the first time I've ever had it to this extent, but it’s nice to see the way it’s getting the most out of each other.”
While it remains an open battle for minutes, however, there’s no doubt that St.Clair carries the edge right now. It can quickly change - we’re only 12 months removed from Crépeau’s heroics for Canada at Copa América - but St.Clair’s club form has given him a big boost at the moment.
“I think Dayne has the pole position, based on his performances,” Marsch told TSN earlier this year. “But the whole time, I’ve said this will be a healthy competition.”
So far, St.Clair leads all of MLS with eight clean sheets in 2025, and has saved 2.1 goals above expected - for context, he had eight clean sheets in all of 2025 in MLS play, and saved 2.1 goals above expected, meaning that he’s well on track to surpass both numbers at this rate.
Brick walls 🧤
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 3, 2025
Halfway through the season, Dayne St. Clair leads the league with 8 clean sheets. pic.twitter.com/4fjTzz6fmE
Given that he was already in good form in 2024, Marsch will be pleased to see St.Clair take that to a new level in 2025, backstopping a Minnesota side that has conceded the second-fewest goals in MLS so far with 16.
After making some changes off the field to improve his game, including adding cognitive work to his repertoire to help him better track the ball, while modifying the way that he trains to incorporate different drills that improve his brain, St.Clair has quickly seen the results of those changes this year.
“Yeah, I’ve done a lot of cognitive work off the field that has been paying off, and I’ve been training a little bit differently, thinking outside the box, and that has helped me be sharper with my mind, as well as with eyes, I'm seeing things a little more clearly,” St.Clair said. “I know what's at stake in 12 months, so I’ve been honing in on that and sacrificing a lot over the last 24 months, as that has been very important for me.”
At the same time, St.Clair knows that if he’s going to become Canada’s #1, he also has to prove that he can play in Marsch’s system. A big reason for Crépeau’s success at the Copa América is his ability to play as more of a sweeper-keeper, one who can play extremely aggressively, helping give support to a team that defends high up the field.
With Minnesota, St.Clair hasn’t had to do that as much, as he sits last in MLS in actions outside of the penalty area per 90 minutes, with his team playing much more of a conservative style of play that involves a lot of sitting back and conceding possession.
The good news? St.Clair has proven that he can play aggressively in the past. Heck, in 2024, he was 5th among goalkeepers in actions outside of the penalty area, fittingly sitting just behind Crépeau (who was 4th) in that statistic.
Plus, as Marsch has told his players since arriving, it’s also on players to bring the aggression he wants them to play with for Canada to their clubs, even if the systems are different. Because of that, even if St.Clair isn’t as aggressive outside of his box, he knows that there are other ways that he can use that aggression to help him make saves.
Air Canada 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/gWBRaGL3wd
— Minnesota United FC (@MNUFC) May 29, 2025
“Yeah, I think the style that I play here and that I play for country are a little bit different, just in terms of what's required of me, but I know that I'm capable of doing both and showing that I'm versatile,” St.Clair said. “I can play in multiple systems. When (Marsch) came in, he challenged all of us to be better and to bring some of the things that we do at the national team to the club level as well.”
Yet, those are one of the many areas where he’s grown as a player, as he continues to navigate his 6th season with Minnesota. After a multi-year battle to get the reins of the net, which he fully got in 2022, he’s been looking to grow his game as a starter ever since.
Meanwhile, for Canada, he’s quickly become a key fixture in this program, as he’s only missed three camps since he earned his first call at the beginning of 2021, and none since February of 2022.
Having come into that first Canada camp as an inexperienced 24-year-old, which is quite young for a goalkeeper, he can now look back as a 28-year-old and reflect on the growth he’s had since, with lots of pride, as he’s gone from a hopeful third string to a potential World Cup starter.
With his team hitting a new level under Marsch, the growth of players like St.Clair from unproven youngsters to consistent performers has been a big reason why, especially after the departure of some key veterans like Borjan, Atiba Hutchinson, Steven Vitória and others.
“When I came into the program, it was during COVID, so it was very different,” St.Clair reflected. “My first camp was a COVID camp, so it was very different going through those World Cup qualifiers while playing in an empty stadium, and not even being able to play in Canada.”
“Just seeing the growth that we've had since with that experience, seeing some of our younger guys now step up and take on bigger leadership roles as new guys have come and we moved on from some of the veterans that pioneered and did a lot for our program - I think a lot of the work that they did, we were able to kind of benefit off of it, but we know that we still have a long way to go, and I think the easiest way to do that is to do it by winning.”
“But I think a lot of the stuff that we're doing in the community and becoming visible for Canadians is the most important thing we’re doing, as well.”
Now, however, a big rest of 2025 awaits St.Clair, as he faces a pretty big crossroads at the club level.
At the end of this year, he’ll become a free agent, as his contract with Minnesota will expire. All of a sudden, that puts him in an interesting position ahead of the World Cup, as he might be looking for a new club less than a year out from that tournament.
At the doorstep 🚪 pic.twitter.com/2DLjPXMdhY
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) April 12, 2025
Of course, he could stay in Minnesota, which is not a bad option - given how well he’s played there, and how he’s taken to the city, you have to imagine they’ll go all out to keep him.
Given that he’s blossomed into one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, however, you have to imagine that there will be teams elsewhere in MLS who might throw a lot of money to make him their starter, which will be tempting.
Then, there’s the fact that he might want to go to Europe. As St.Clair pointed out, he has Scottish heritage and has looked into how that might help him get a visa if he were to head to Europe, noting that he’s open and willing to make that move if the right situation arises.
Yet, that last point is key - no matter what St.Clair does at the end of this year, or this summer if Minnesota decides to cash in on him, he’s got the World Cup top of mind.
He wants to start for Canada at that World Cup, and keep himself in the pole position in this goalkeeper race. If that means staying in MLS, he’ll do it, but if a European club is there, he’ll also happily take it, provided it’s not Rangers - his Scottish family have a strong connection to Celtic, as he said with a smile.
“Yeah, my biggest thing right now is making sure that I put myself in the best situation to be playing at the World Cup in 12 months,” he offered. “Whatever that looks like, and I'm not fully sure what that looks like right now, but I think that's what’s going to go into that decision, because my main goal is to make sure that I'm the one that's in the net at the World Cup.”
“That probably plays a bigger role and a bigger impact than just any other contract year, of course, with a contract ending six months before the World Cup, you have to see what that looks like, but I'm open to any and all options, if it puts me in a place where I can challenge myself and I can continue to succeed.”
“There are teams all over the world, it depends on who's calling and who's offering. I’m not limiting myself to anything, and I'm open to all decisions if it puts me in a situation where I can be successful and continue to push in my role for the national team.”
In a sense, however, it’s fitting he said that on a night where he backstopped Minnesota to a 0-0 draw vs. the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place on May 28th, as he picked up his eighth clean sheet of the season in that matchup.
As many know, on June 18th of 2026, Canada will play their second game of the 2026 World Cup at BC Place, which they’ll hope is the first of four potential games they could play at the stadium if their journey goes to plan. Safe to say, he hopes he can keep some more clean sheets at BC Place going forward, but while representing his home country at the World Cup.
When asked about if he’s thought of what that might feel like, however, he once again showcased his mentality, as he made sure to point out that’s not the only big game Canada will play at BC Place over the next 14 months - they do also have their 2025 Gold Cup opener vs. Honduras on June 17th.
Big save by St. Clair 🇨🇦🧤 pic.twitter.com/g8q2nUUNrk
— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) March 23, 2025
That’s huge to point out, as Canada has brought a strong squad to that tournament, which will have their last competitive matches before the World Cup, as they know how valuable winning their first trophy since 2000 could be for their World Cup preparation.
Plus, given the squad that Marsch has brought, this will also serve as a good opportunity for him to see which players he trusts most, so in a sense, this might also be the best audition St.Clair and Crépeau have over the next while.
Because of that, look for St.Clair to try and make the most of that opportunity, as he battles to lead his team out the tunnel at BC Place in that Gold Cup opener and beyond, with the quest towards doing so starting this weekend at BMO Field, when Canada takes on Ukraine and Côte d’Ivoire as part of the Canadian Shield, and then continuing into that match vs. Honduras.
“Yeah, for sure, even to bring it back, I'm thinking about being back here in a couple weeks for the Gold Cup, and hopefully playing in that game in front of a packed stadium,” he offered. “I think playing on home soil, there's no better feeling, and especially at a World Cup, to hear everyone chanting your name. I probably got a few boos today being in the opposition, but that's to be expected, and I know that when I wear the Maple Leaf, the whole country's behind me.”
“I’m looking forward to having the people behind me at BMO Field, and then at the Gold Cup here, hopefully we can sell those out, and then maybe we can play another game before the World Cup in Vancouver, but if people want that, then they need to make sure that they show up for our Gold Cup game here.”
