Jayde Riviere: Canada have done the dirty work to win the World Cup

Jayde Riviere is an Under Armour athlete

With an Olympic gold medal under her belt and aged just 22, Manchester United's Jayde Riviere is heading to her second World Cup this summer. But she believes Canada have what it takes to go all the way on the biggest stage there is.

It was at the 2020 Olympic Games where Riviere got her first taste of winning a major tournament, something she hopes Canada can now do again in Australia and New Zealand.

"Winning the Olympics was obviously amazing. I think it's a surreal moment," she tells 90min.

"I think coming off of the Olympics, knowing that we kind of went through some adversity with not having fans, it being a covid year," she adds.

At the delayed 2020 Games, Canada's hopes of gold rested on a penalty shootout against Sweden. Prevailing from the spot, Canada made the world sit up and take note. But with no crowd of fans or family in attendance, it was a different kind of moment for the players.

"Going into the World Cup knowing that we've done everything seems like behind closed doors with no one watching, we will be able to have a unique experience where we get to go to the World Cup with sold-out stadiums and being able to perform at that level," Riviere explains.

"For me specifically, going to my first Olympics and coming back with some hardware, something I wouldn't have thought would happen. But to be able to accomplish that and coming into the World Cup, it gives you a boost of confidence to know that you were able to go through resilience and being able to come out on top."

It was Riviere's outstanding performances for Canada, whilst also playing at the University of Michigan, that caught the eye of Manchester United boss Marc Skinner. Now capped 37 times for Canada, the emerging star signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with United in January 2023, marking her first professional contract in the process after her college career.

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The move to the WSL, with a debut against Tottenham Hotspur in May followoing a period of injury rehab, also brought new opportunities off the pitch, including a partnership with Under Armour that came just in time for the launch of their new women's football boot, the Clone Magnetico Pro 3.

"One of the crucial parts of [working with Under Armour] is you have women-specific boots that are coming out now. For me, that's amazing to know that it's fit to my foot," Riviere says.

"To know that they have boots that now have a different stud placing, different padding, different structure that can just fit my anatomy and my foot is really awesome."

The Clone Magnetico Pro 3 boot is a one-of-a-kind innovation designed to specifically support female athletes, including specific modifications mitigate sub-pressure while maintaining the same traction.

Riviere revealed how, as a child, she had to wear boys' cleats meaning they never fitted right, were often less colourful and often took a period of 'breaking in' in order to mould the boot better to her foot. The Clone Magnetico Pro 3 has been a welcome change.

"Something that always used to have to occur is I'd always have to like a break in time. So I'd always have to break in the boot over a couple of days, and I always knew I was going to get a blister," she says.

"The first boot that I put on with Under Armour, I was able just to play fluidly, I had no issue with it at all, and it actually took me by surprise. I think it comes with a mentality piece, a comfort piece to know that when I'm on the field, I'm not waiting for a blister to form.

"It puts my mind at ease knowing that I'm wearing the best of the best shoes, and they're tailored for me, and of course, it's gonna be imperative having those ahead of the summer and the World Cup."

READ MORE ON THE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP IN AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND

With Canada set to face Australia, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland in Group B, Riviere revealed that despite off-pitch issues centred around equal access to pay and facilities, the team's dreams are still as ambitious as ever, fuelling their desire to put on a performance on the biggest football stage.

"I think for Canada, obviously, you want to win the World Cup; we're typically an underdog, but we thrive in that position. We always talk about having our country engrave the name on that trophy, and it's something that you dream of doing," she reflects.

"Some say winning the World Cup is harder than winning the Olympics, and I think we're here for it.

"I think that we've done all the dirty work to do it, and everyone is training intensively to make sure that Canada is a country that's constantly talked about so I think that's something that we want to leave on the world's biggest stage."

Revealing her personal ambitions for the major tournament, the Ontario native said it's also about displaying growth and shining as the dual threat that she has become in the four years since the 2019 edition of the tournament where Canada exited the tournament in the last 16.

"The first World Cup that I went to, I was 16 or 17 years old, so I was fairly young," Riviere explains. "It was my first World Cup where I was fortunate enough to get minutes, but we didn't reach our goal, which obviously was to win so I think personally for me, it's about growth."

"I want to make sure that I exemplified the type of player that I am now that I've had a couple of years to grow into that full-back that I want to be as a dual threat."

"I really want to be able to show that on the world's biggest stage."

The Under Armour Clone Magnetico Pro 3 will be available at underarmour.co.uk from 17 July