Canada takes on Romania on Friday, the first of six remaining games in 2025 that come with a clear mandate from coach Jesse Marsch.

"There's certain things we want to develop on the inside of our team to fully prepare us for what (the World Cup) next summer looks like," Marsch told a news conference in Bucharest on Thursday. "One of them is about leadership and communication on the pitch. And then another one is we continue to push the entire squad and not just that we have good performances from the starting 11 but that we have good performances for the entire 90-plus minutes."

As such, Marsch says he is essentially treating the next three international windows as one.

After No. 48 Romania, the 28th-ranked Canadians visit No. 31 Wales on Tuesday, host No. 24 Australia in Montreal on Oc

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