Co-hosting the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, Canada are determined to make a statement. The Canucks have never advanced beyond the group stage, but they will attempt to do so with a strong 26-man roster that includes seven foreign-born players.
Alphonso Davies leads the way in that regard, as he is one of the biggest names on Canada’s national team and perhaps the most prominent example of a foreign-born player representing Les Rouges. Davies was named to Canada’s roster for the 2026 World Cup despite dealing with a hamstring injury that put his status for the tournament in doubt.
Still, Davies is not the only foreign-born player on Jesse Marsch’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. In fact, the other marquee star on the roster, Jonathan David, was also born outside Canada, although his birthplace was much closer than Davies’. David was born to Haitian parents in New York City, United States, before moving to Haiti at a young age and later relocating to Ottawa with his family.
As for Davies, he was born in 2000 to Liberian parents in a refugee camp in Ghana before moving to Edmonton in 2005. Davies and David—the two faces of the Canadian national team—are just two examples. The list of foreign-born players extends to seven members of Canada’s 2026 World Cup roster.
Alphonso Davies #19 of Canada at Toronto Stadium.
Full list of Canadian players born abroad
In addition to David and Davies, Canada’s squad for the 2026 World Cup features the likes of Owen Goodman, Luc de Fougerolles, and Alfie Jones, all of which were born in England but naturalized Canadians. Moreover, Ismael Kone, who was born in Ivory Coast, also represents Canada at the 2026 World Cup.
Kone could’ve chosen to represent the Elephants, as there are several players born in France and abroad representing Ivory Coast at soccer’s biggest competition. Lastly, Tani Oluwaseyi is also a part of Canada’s squad, although he was born in Nigeria and moved to The Great White North at the age of 10.
| NAME | PLACE OF BIRTH |
| Alphonso Davies | Ghana (Liberian parents) |
| Jonathan David | USA (Haitian parents) |
| Owen Goodman | England |
| Alfie Jones | England |
| Luc de Fougerolles | England |
| Ismael Kone | Ivory Coast |
| Tani Oluwaseyi | Nigeria |
Where are Canadian-born players from?
With seven players born abroad, the remaining 19 players on the 26-man roster were all born and raised in Canada. However, we’ll take a look at which province provided the most players to the national team for the 2026 World Cup.
To no one’s surprise, Ontario—the most populous province in Canada—produced the most players on Canada’s World Cup roster, with 11 members of the squad hailing from the province. Quebec ranks second with four players, while British Columbia has produced three. Nova Scotia contributed one player. Provinces such as Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan did not produce any players on the roster.
Alberta may have a claim to recognition, as Davies spent most of his life in the province, but he was born in Ghana. For the purposes of this analysis, however, Alberta comes away empty-handed. Check out the full list below:
- Ontario: Dayne St. Clair, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea, Ali Ahmed, Tajon Buchanan, Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Millar, Jonathan Osorio, Promise David, Cyle Larin, and Jayden Nelson
- Quebec: Maxime Crepeau, Moise Bombito, Mathieu Choiniere, and Nathan Saliba.
- British Columbia: Alistair Johnston, Niko Sigur, and Joel Waterman.
- Nova Scotia: Jacob Shaffelburg.
