It’s fair to say soccer is the not the most popular sport in Canada. Ice hockey and the oldest sport in North America dating back to the 1400s, lacrosse, lead the way when it comes to the two sports Canadians love to watch and play the most.
However, Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies has helped improve the appeal of soccer over the last few years, particularly to a younger audience who see the Canadian international performing at the very highest level in Europe for his German club.
Along with 18-year-old women’s tennis star Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Ruck in the swimming pool, Davies is amongst the most talented young Canadian sports stars currently excelling in professional sport. The Ghanaian-born defender was handed Canadian citizenship in 2017. He then became the youngest player to ever feature for the national team when he made his debut against Curacao at the age of just 16.
The Canadian Premier League is the professional league in Canada in the men’s game. More young players like Davies are set to be given the chance to shine in the competition as the commissioner David Clanachan has announced that in 2021 the number of under-21 Domestic Player minutes will increase by 50%.
Tristan Borges, Emilio Estevez and Tyler Attardo have all benefited from the programme by the Canadian Premier League over the last few years. They have now been given opportunities to play in Europe just like Davies is doing. All young players growing up with the dream of playing soccer will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the defender.
Part Of Dominant Bayern Team
Davies is considered to be one of the best in the world at his position in soccer. He is very much the modern-day full-back who gets involved in the offense as much as defending against the opposition.
Since Davies made his debut for the club in 2018, Bayern have been dominant in multiple competitions with two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal cups and, most importantly, a Champions League title last season.
The two-time Canadian Men’s Player of the Year finished third in the Golden Boy award in 2020 behind Erling Haaland and Ansu Fati. That prize is handed out to the best young footballer under the age of 21 in Europe’s top tiers.
Davies should continue to win lots of silverware with his current club. As of the 5th February, Bayern are huge odds-on favourites in the Bundesliga and are also the favourites for the Champions League at +275 on Betway as they look to become the second team to defend a Champions League title after Real Madrid.
The young full-back will be taking part in the FIFA Club World Cup with Bayern this year. If successful, he would become the first Canadian to win the tournament. Held in Qatar, the German champions are bidding to win their sixth trophy over the last 12 months. Only one other team in history has managed that feat: Barcelona in 2009.
What Can Canada Achieve On International Stage?
With Davies playing at the highest level in the sport, and many other young Canadian players flourishing in their careers, the future is definitely bright for Canada’s national soccer team.
The Canucks have played three fixtures so far in 2021 and have won two of those fixtures. Those victories came over Barbados. They also lost 1-0 to Iceland in a tight contest where they did well to hold the European nation to just a single goal in the 90 minutes.
Canada are set to feature in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2021. The 2000 winners have been drawn into Group B alongside USA, Martinique and the winner of preliminary match 7. If they finish in the top two of that group, something which they will be expected to do, they will advance through to the quarter-final.
With so many young players in the latest Canada squad, there is hope this latest crop can really help the nation progress. Canada are as low as 72 in the FIFA world rankings. They will be aiming to end the year inside the top 50.
Canada have only reached the finals of the World Cup once. They qualified in 1986 when the tournament was in Mexico. The 2026 tournament is set to be held in Canada, United States and Mexico. FIFA have yet to announce if those three hosts will receive automatic qualification into the finals. If they are not given a space, Les Rouges will hopefully book their spot through the qualification process.
Although one player is not enough for a team or country to have success in soccer, what Davies is achieving in the game is, without a doubt, helping lift the sport in Canada.
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