UPDATED STORY: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Tuesday that Sam Adekugbe (Canada) and Stuart Armstrong (Scotland) have also been called up to their respective national teams for the November international window.
Adekugbe receives his third consecutive call-up since the end of Copa America, while Armstrong receives his first call-up since coming off the bench in Scotland's final group stage match of EURO 2024 against Hungary.
ORIGINAL STORY: Friday, November 8, 2024
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Friday that Ali Ahmed (Canada), Andrés Cubas (Paraguay), Ryan Gauld (Scotland), Fafa Picault (Haiti), and Pedro Vite (Ecuador) have been called up to their respective national teams for the November international window.
Ali Ahmed is set to join up with Canada's men's national team for Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals against Suriname. Canada will play a home-and-away quarterfinal series, with the first leg on Friday, November 15 at Flora Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname (kickoff at 3:30 p.m. PT), and the return leg set for Tuesday, November 19 at BMO Field in Toronto (kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT). Along with Ahmed, six former Whitecaps FC alumi were named to the roster in Theo Bair, Maxime Crépeau, Alphonso Davies, Junior Hoilett, Richie Laryea, and Jonathan Sirois, as well as BC natives Niko Sigur and Joel Waterman.
Meanwhile, Andrés Cubas will look to help Paraguay continue their surge in the CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Qualifying standings with two crucial matchups. First up, Cubas and his country host Argentina on Thursday, November 14 at Estadio Defensores del Chaco in Asunción, Paraguay. Kickoff for the match is set for 3:30 p.m. PT. Paraguay will then wrap up the window with a visit to Bolivia on Tuesday, November 19 at Estadio Municipal in El Alto, Bolivia. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. PT. With eight matches remaining in the qualifying campaign, Paraguay sit in the sixth and final World Cup spot in the standings with a 3W-3L-4D record (13 points), as they hope to qualify for their first World Cup since 2010.
Having continued his scincilating form in the MLS Cup Playoffs, Ryan Gauld has received his third consecutive call-up to Scotland's men's national team. This upcoming window, Scotland is set to play their final round of 2024 UEFA Nations League group stage matches, first taking on Croatia at Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, November 15, with kickoff set for 11:45 a.m. PT. They will then wrap up their group stage campaign with an away clash against Poland on Monday, November 18 at PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw, Poland.
Fafa Picault will join Haiti's men's national team for a pair of Concacaf Nations League matches. The first clash will see Haiti face Sint Maarten on Friday, November 15, with kickoff at 3 p.m. PT. Picault and his country will then wrap up the window with a match against Puerto Rico on Monday, November 18, with kickoff at 6 p.m. PT. Picault has recorded five assists and a goal in his last seven appearances with Haiti.
Lastly, Pedro Vite has received his fourth call-up to Ecuador's men's national team, with the group set to play a pair of key CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Qualifiers. Their first match will see Vite face Bolivia on Thursday, November 14 at Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium in Quito, Ecuador, with kickoff set for 4 p.m. PT. Ecuador will then hit the road for an away match against Colombia on Tuesday, November 19 at Estadio Metropolitano, Colombia, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. PT. Despite having a three-point deduction at the start of qualifying, Ecuador sit fifth in the CONMEBOL standings with a 4W-2L-4D record (13 points), as they look to secure qualification in back-to-back World Cups for the first time since 2002 and 2006.
