Hardman and Football Culture in Canada

John Harderman’s passion for football is from Diego Maradona

Started coaching career at a football school promoting Brazilian football values

Coaches want to instill football culture to co-host 2026 World Cup

The year is 1986. In England, 11-year-old John Harderman watches his country’s national team lose to Argentina with Diego Maradona at the World Cup at the Aztec Stadium in Mexico. Some tears shed. Back in 2021. Coach John Harderman stands on the edge of the same stadium with a movie playing in his head. He now coaches Canada when they take on Mexico in the CONCACAF Qualifier for the FIFA World Cup™. But this time the situation is very different and they are proud – and rightly so.

Herdman reorganized Canadian football from the ground up, and the men’s senior team became a CONCACAF qualifying sensation with victories against the United States and Mexico. Now they want to carry on those successes at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

“It was surreal to be there. I remember watching Diego Maradona play with his father against England. That’s when I fell in love with football. I was proud of how Mexico attacked on the first minute. 1986 I burst into tears, but not that evening,” Koch said in an interview with Sky Sports, recounting the two harrowing experiences.

The seed planted by Diego Maradona eventually bore fruit in Hardman, though not on the pitch but on the touchline. Britain also tried his luck as a player, but soon realized he was made more for the coaching profession.

A trip to Brazil changed the attitude of a person who wanted to coach at the time. Hardman learned that football is an art. The lessons he learned from the five-time world champion’s country opened doors for him in England, first at a football school that taught the values ​​of Brazilian football, and later at the youth academy of AFC Sunderland.

But Hardemann was drawn to distant lands. First she coached the New Zealand women’s team and later the Canadian women’s team on the other side of the sea.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Harderman changed Canadian football from the ground up. First, she propelled women into the world elite with two bronze medals at the Olympic football tournament and a gold medal at the Pan American Games. He has been the coach of the men’s national team since 2018, which he has merged into a cohesive unit over time.

“Ever since John took office, his focus has been on transforming the identity of Canadian football.”
Kamal Miller

“He knows what he’s doing and has a strategy for every game.”
Jonathan David

“He brought a new kind of football to Canada, one with emotion, confidence and panache.”
Milan Borjana

Slowly, John Harderman is changing attitudes towards Canadian football.

“One of the comments was that we didn’t have enough courage when it really mattered. Very quickly that all changed for me. We wanted to start with some tactical aspects, but strategy sucks if players are on their side.” Don’t watch the neighbors or their coach to believe,” Hardeman said.

A good performance in the World Cup will be crucial for Canadian football. After all, the country is co-hosting the world tournament in 2026 along with Mexico and the USA. This is much more than the goals for the Englishman.

“We need the World Cup to change the culture. This country is ready for the World Cup,” he predicts.