National Teams

Maxime Crépeau, Canada's 'small' goalkeeper and the joy of victory in Spanish

Maxime Crépeau, Canada's goalkeeper, made great contributions to the national team on the journey to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, while also demonstrating his ability to communicate in multiple languages.

Jun 30, 2026, 02:20 AMMarta Aguilar4 lượt xem

Maxime Crépeau has conceded just twice during Canada's run at the 2026 World Cup, and his excellent form has helped Canada advance to the round of 16 for the first time in their history. In the recent match, he maintained his focus and performed excellently every time Sudáfrica came close to his goal (which was not too many times). With a 1-0 victory, he was able to celebrate this achievement.

Perhaps when he picks up the phone to call his family, there will be congratulations in Spanish, even though he is a goalkeeper born in Quebec. Crépeau, 32, has spent his career mainly in North America, but he speaks fluent French, English and Spanish. French is the official language in Quebec, English is learned naturally, and Spanish comes from his family, especially from his Chilean wife and young daughter.

"Sometimes, she starts a sentence in French, continues in English and ends in Spanish," Crépeau once shared about her daughter.

In addition to the interesting linguistic aspect, Crépeau also stands out with another characteristic: his modest height compared to today's goalkeeper standards. He is only about 1.80 to 1.81m tall, a height that is not common in football today, although reality shows that, as a goalkeeper, arm span is often more important than height. In any case, Crépeau, a 'diminutive' goalkeeper from Quebec with the ability to speak Spanish thanks to his wife and daughter, was coach Jesse Marsch's choice to defend the goal for Canada, the team that reached the knockout round of a World Cup for the first time in history. Everything that happens from here will be a bonus, and Crépeau and his teammates will celebrate in French, English and Spanish.