Canada coach Jesse Marsch sparks World Cup war of words with USA and claims he had to 'beg' non-patriotic Americans to sing the national anthem

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has sparked a fresh war of words with the USA after claiming he used to 'beg' the team's stars to sing the national anthem.

Marsch, who is the first American in history to manage Canada's men's soccer team, previously held the role of assistant coach for the USA at the 2010 World Cup. 

And, on Thursday, the 52-year-old used an anecdote from his tenure with the USA to spur on his own players, as they look ahead to their opening game on Friday. 

'When I first came, I had to learn a lot about what it meant to be Canadian,' he said. 'Being a leader in this sport, I've always tried to create an environment where our differences make us stronger, not weaker. 

'From the moment I stepped into the environment with this team, I was impressed by how much they loved each other, how much they were drawn to each other and how much, even though there were differences, their back stories had similarities.'

'Every one of these boys is incredibly Canadian and the pride they have in putting on the jersey, representing the country and hearing the national anthem.

'In the US sometimes we had to beg players to sing the national anthem. These guys [Canada stars] belt it out to the top of their lungs because they want to show the country how proud they are to be Canadians and to represent what Canada is.'

During his time as an assistant coach for the USA, Marsch worked with the likes of Landon Donovan, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey at the World Cup in South Africa.

Canada will kick-start their 2026 World Cup campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Toronto Stadium on Friday afternoon.

'We all know a home World Cup is special,' he continued. 'If you do this for a living, this is where you want to be. I came to Canada to lead them in a home World Cup; I wanted this responsibility. Nobody here is afraid of that. 

'Actually, this is why we're doing it. Yeah, it's responsibility, yeah, it's pressure, but that's what we want, it's meaningful. I love sitting on that coach's box when the stadium's full, the pressure is on and everyone thinks you're an idiot.'

Marsch became the first American ever to lead the Canadian national team following his appointment two years ago.

Canada will start their tournament on Friday, before taking on Switzerland, on June 24, and Qatar, on June 18, in the weeks that follow. 

Meanwhile, the USA will also start their World Cup campaign on Friday afternoon against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Recently, head coach Mauricio Pochettino claimed that he believes the USA's World Cup campaign can create the same hysteria that is gripping New York as the Knicks chase a first NBA championship in 50 years.

Fans poured on to the streets of Manhattan earlier this week after the Knicks moved to within one win of a first title since 1973. Many of Pochettino's players also lost their minds at their California base after New York's stunning comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

There were even more remarkable scenes in Argentina – Pochettino's homeland – four years ago, when Lionel Messi led his nation to World Cup glory.

Soccer has long struggled to captivate America like other sports but on the eve of the USMNT's opening game against Paraguay in Los Angeles , the head coach was asked how his players can inspire the same hype.

'I think it's contagious and we need to play with passion, we need to win games – that's very important… [we need] to make the fans feel proud about what they are seeing on the field,' he said.

'To create that emotional relationship and then you will do the rest - try to encourage the people to celebrate - but we need to win. The important thing is to win.'