Argentina edge Canada in tight World Cup encounter
Canada lost 45:47 to Argentina in the World Cup on 31 August 2026. The hosts had something to prove after that 73:83 defeat to the same side back in August 2025, and they needed the points badly. Argentina brought a different intensity to the court and saw it out when it mattered.
And here's the thing about this one — it wasn't the shooting that separated them. Canada finished with 30 field goals against 28, but Argentina's 13 three-pointers to 11 told a different story. By then the visitors had already switched off at the back in moments that cost them dearly.
The statistics paint a picture of a match decided in the small margins. Canada dominated the boards with 31 rebounds to 27, and their 23 assists versus 19 showed more fluid ball movement. Yet they still lost, and that's the cruel arithmetic of cup football has its own rules, even on a basketball court.
To be fair, Argentina's discipline in turnover management proved decisive. They committed just 15 turnovers against Canada's 11, and while that doesn't sound dramatic until you see what happened with each one. The visitors converted their chances when it counted.
For Canada, this adds another chapter to a frustrating run. They'd beaten Panama 86:66 and the Bahamas twice in convincing fashion, but losses to the United States and now Argentina suggest they haven't found their rhythm. The clean-sheet run came to an end, if there ever was one.
Argentina meanwhile sit in a stronger position. They'd already dispatched Puerto Rico 89:75 and demolished Cuba 105:49, showing they can take it apart against weaker opposition. This result means they'll make life awkward for whoever comes next.
