Canada U18 beat Finland U18 6-3 in the Glinka-Gretzky Cup on 7 August 2026. The victory puts Canada top of the table with three wins from three games. Finland sit second after two wins and one defeat.
And here's the thing — the scoreboard tells only part of the story. Canada had lost four of their five previous matches in this tournament, including heavy defeats to Sweden, Slovakia, Switzerland and Czechia. This result breaks that pattern.
Finland's recent form has been mixed too. They beat USA 4-1 and lost to Czechia 4-5 on 5 August, but have struggled against Germany and Czechia in other fixtures. By then, Canada were looking to put together something different.
The standings show both teams on zero points, which suggests the tournament uses a points system separate from wins and losses. Canada lead on goal difference after their three victories. Finland's goal difference sits behind them after two wins and one loss.
Recent results show the tournament has been unpredictable. Canada's only win before this game came against Sweden 3-1 on 30 July. Finland's losses have come against Germany and Czechia, with wins over USA and Czechia.
The 6-3 scoreline gives Canada a cushion in the group stage. Finland will need to find more consistency if they want to catch up. Three games played means there is still plenty of football left to play.