Canada Soccer names Gibson to U-20 roster for FIFA World Cup in Poland

One UBC Thunderbird is going to have to miss a couple of games to start this year’s soccer season – but with good reason.

Canada Soccer announced that third-year T-Bird Sienna Gibson has been named to the 21-player squad that will represent the country at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026 in Poland. With the roster being made up of players with either professional or NCAA experience, the UBC midfielder will be the sole player to suit up from a Canadian university.

“I don’t think I can reiterate the sense of pride and gratitude enough. To have the opportunity to play against top players from across the world is something I’ve always dreamed of”, reflected Gibson. “I always play for my family and friends, so to be able to have that opportunity to honour them, my coaches, my teammates who have supported me, is something that I’m really excited for.”

 

Set to take place from September 5 to 27, games will be played across four host cities: Bielsko-Biala, Katowice, Lodz and Sosnowiec. The Canadian roster will come together for training this week, then wrap up with a closed-door match against Spain on August 31 to prepare for the tournament.  

Canada has been drawn into Group B, meaning their first game will be a matchup against England on September 5, then Brazil on September 8 before rounding out the group stage against Tanzania on the 11th, all of which will be played in Bielsko-Biala.

“We’re just really proud. We’ve got a lot of players who have played internationally for different countries, but Sienna will be the first one who’s a current player in a program to go to a World Cup”, mused UBC head coach Jesse Simons. “To have a player choose UBC, get to the highest level in our country and establish herself in that environment has really shown her level of growth and progression.”

Playing in high-stakes international competitions is familiar territory for the Vancouver-native, as Gibson made quite an impact when she donned the Canadian crest last summer. Playing against Mexico in the 2025 CONCACAF U-20 Championship Final, she scored a decisive goal in the second half to propel her side to an eventual 3-2 extra-time win, helping Canada lift the trophy for the first time in nearly 20 years.

 

Gibson breaks the deadlock for Canada!?????? pic.twitter.com/LB5SeSJZSX

— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) June 8, 2025

“As a program, as a staff, as teammates, everyone is so proud of what she’s accomplishing. She’s definitely a player that’s going to be missed over the first few weeks of the season, but she’ll also be celebrated as she’s competing for our country and a World Cup this year”, added coach Symons. “I’m excited to see her continue to grow the rest of her career here and then hopefully professionally.”

This will be Gibson’s third year with the Thunderbirds, and after trips to the national championship final in each of her first two seasons, winning seems to be in her blood. UBC is hosting this year’s season-end tournament, so both Gibson and coach Symons know competition of this caliber will pay dividends for his squad come the fall.

“[Symons’] coaching experience, with everything he’s taught me, and the fact that I’ve had him to help me navigate my time here, it’s all been really helpful”, said Gibson. “He’s played a huge role in my development.”

Despite the season not kicking off until the first week of September, preparation for the T-Birds’ 2025-2026 campaign is well underway. The team just wrapped pre-season exhibitions in Spain and Portugal against some of the top European clubs. Now, with Gibson making the jump to Poland for U-20 World Cup action, that is a tremendous ramp-up to start the T-Bird season – even if there is a little crossover.

“Having [the World Cup] under my belt will definitely help with the season. Playing against top players will hopefully make me stronger, and I think I’ll learn a lot throughout this tournament. I plan to bring back what I’ve learned and what I can improve on, and share all of that with my teammates as well.”

The Thunderbirds will open their season on the road, albeit a little closer to home than Europe, and will take on the UBCO Heat at Nonis Sports Field on September 4 with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT.