Canadian national soccer team player Alistair Johnston has publicly criticized Frontier Airlines for alleged errors in his travel arrangements following Canada's elimination from the World Cup. Johnston, a key player for the Canadian team, stated on X, formerly Twitter, that the airline flew him to the wrong city and lost his luggage.
Canada was defeated 3-0 by Morocco in Houston, ending their run in the last-16 stage of the competition on Saturday. The following day, Johnston documented his frustrating travel experience.
"Learned my lesson today. Never fly @FlyFrontier even if it’s the only direct flight available," Johnston posted. "Genuinely look for multi-stop redeye flights before flying with them. I’m still not sure where my bags are and I’m in the wrong city somehow."
It remains unclear where Johnston was attempting to travel from or to. The official account for the Canadian Men's National Team responded to his post by asking, "Where did they send you?" Johnston has not yet provided further details.
Another traveler, Danny Pham, who encountered Johnston at a gate, shared his experience on X. Pham stated that his connecting flight with Frontier Airlines, which was supposed to be a 2.5-hour journey, turned into an eight to nine-hour ordeal with a 14-hour delay. He also indicated that Johnston's luggage might still be at the original departure airport, though he later suggested he might have seen the bags at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina.
This World Cup marked a historic achievement for Canada, as the team advanced to the knockout stage for the first time. Prior to this tournament, Canada had participated in the group stage twice, failing to secure a single victory on either occasion. Johnston played the full 90 minutes in all of Canada's World Cup matches.
In separate comments following the loss to Morocco, Canadian Head Coach Jesse Marsch drew attention for his remarks during a post-match interview. Marsch stated that despite the 3-0 defeat, he would prefer his team's situation over that of the victorious Moroccan team. He praised his players for their attacking approach and expressed pride in their performance, despite the loss. His comments quickly circulated on social media, prompting various reactions from fans.