Alphonso Davies Chooses Honeymoon Over Friendlies

Alphonso Davies has swapped touchlines for the Seine, and Canada are happy to let him.

Between the end of the World Cup and the start of pre-season with Bayern Munich, the 25-year-old married his partner Sheyenne Jen in Paris on 23 July. The newlyweds now plan to mark it properly with a trip together. That means Canada’s captain will skip the three upcoming friendlies against Chile, Peru and the USA.

This isn’t a player going AWOL. It’s a plan.

Head coach Jesse Marsch made it clear the decision came after open talks. “We talked about whether he should spend half of the training camp on his honeymoon and then join us. But I simply felt that it was important for him to enjoy his honeymoon first and then continue working on his physical condition and form,” Marsch said.

Given what Davies has been through, the logic is hard to argue with.

At the start of 2025, while on duty with the national team, the left-back tore his cruciate ligament. The injury sidelined him for three quarters of a year. When he did come back, the setbacks kept coming. Recurring health issues disrupted his rhythm, and a muscle fibre tear ruled him out for Bayern in the decisive stretch of last season. On home soil at the long-awaited World Cup, he managed just 16 minutes for Canada.

For a player used to being the heartbeat of both club and country, it was a brutal stretch.

Back in Munich, still feeling the after-effects, Davies was eased in carefully. He trained alone at first, working his way back step by step. The payoff has finally started to show. Recently, he looked like his old self again, capping a strong performance with a fine goal in Bayern’s 5-0 win over FK Bodö/Glimt.

That upturn in form has only reinforced Marsch’s cautious approach.

“He is playing really well, looks very fit and feels very good,” the Canada coach said. “That is why we wanted to make sure in every respect that in November, when we need him for some important matches, and then in March as well as throughout the entire next cycle, he is so well prepared in every respect that he can always fully commit himself to what we expect from him for the national team.”

So the honeymoon is not just a romantic detour. It’s a deliberate pause before a demanding stretch for both club and country.

For now, Bayern get the benefit. Davies is set to line up for the German champions on Friday when they host Union Berlin in Munich. After that, Bayern do not play again until 10 October, away at Augsburg.

Canada, meanwhile, will have to test themselves against South American and CONCACAF opposition without their captain. The bet is clear: a fresher, fully fit Alphonso Davies in November and beyond, or a half-ready version in September.

Canada have made their choice. The real verdict will come when the serious games return.