The 7 Best Canadian Soccer Players of All Time
One of the best things about soccer is how fans and pundits can each come to their own conclusions about team and player performances. It can spark healthy debates which we hope to do by naming our top seven Canadian soccer players of all time.
As we approach the start of the Copa America, Canadian soccer fans will be gearing up for new head coach Jesse Marsch’s first major tournament. According to many of the most trusted options for online sports betting, the Canadian national team is priced at between 66/1 and 100/1 to win the tournament.
Betting expert Neil Roarty explains that bettors will be able to wager on money lines, handicaps, outright tournament and match betting, and much more. The first two players in our top seven are likely to be a key to Canada’s performances in the tournament.
1. Alphonso Davies
Alphonso Davies is just 23 years old, but there is already a case to be made for him being the best Canadian footballer of all time. The Bayern Munich star can play anywhere on the left and is known for his pace and dribbling ability.
Davies had one of the toughest starts to life imaginable, being born in a refugee camp to parents who had fled the civil war in Liberia.
When he was 5, his family moved to Canada and he made such an impression playing for youth clubs Edmonton Internationals and Edmonton Strikers, that he was invited to move to Vancouver at just 14 to join the Vancouver Whitecaps.
When he was just 18, Bayern Munich agreed on a multi-million dollar transfer.
Since joining Bayern, he has won five Bundesliga titles, five German cups, the Champions League, Super Cup, and Club World Cup.
2. Jonathan David
Jonathan Davies is a prolific forward who was born in New York, moved to Haiti, and emigrated to Canada by age 6. His youth career eventually led him to Belgium when he was 18 where he joined Gent.
He went on to score an equalising goal on his debut before scoring in the Europa League three days later. 5 goals in 5 games saw Davies offered a contract extension as Gent realised the talent they had on their hands.
In his two seasons with Gent, he averaged a goal every two games. This earned him a move to Lille in France for around €30 million where he continued his impressive goalscoring form after a rocky start.
David is known for his pace and can be played as a number 9 or number 10 and he finished as the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup top scorer in 2019 despite Canada dropping out of the tournament in the quarter finals.
3. Carlo Corazzin
Carlo Corazzin is a Canadian striker that played the majority of his career during the ’90s and early 2000s. He won the CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Boot in 2000 after scoring 4 goals and helping Canada to their first Gold Cup victory.
He was a key player for English football league teams Cambridge, Plymouth Argyle, Oldham Athletic, and Northampton Town.
He scored 11 goals in his 59 appearances for Canada and moved into broadcasting after he retired in 2006.
4. Paul Peschisolido
Paul Peschisolido was a diminutive striker who played through the ’90s and 2000s for numerous English clubs, most notably Fulham and Sheffield United.
He entered into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013 and even had a stint for Kansas City Comets in indoor football.
5. Craig Forrest
Craig Forrest’s soccer career spanned from 1985 to 2002 when he played over 250 games for Ipswich Town in England. Loan spells at Colchester and Chelsea came at the start and end of his Ipswich career before he moved to West Ham in 1997.
In 2012 he was named in the all-time Canada XI and can now be found commentating on Toronto FC’s games.
6. Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario is a fan favorite who is in the top ten MLS goalscorers of all time and was also named the league’s MVP in 2011.
Equally as effective up-front as he was as an attacking midfielder, De Rosario could be relied upon for key goals and assists.
He has established a football academy in his name and retired from playing in 2019.
7. Scott Arfield
Despite being born and raised in Scotland and playing his whole career in the UK, Scott Arfield qualified for Canada through his Toronto-born father. After playing for Scotland’s U19, U21, and B-team, he switched allegiances in 2016 and went on to make 19 appearances in three years.
Starting his career at Falkirk, he moved to Huddersfield and Burnley where he gained an excellent reputation before sealing a move to boyhood heroes Rangers in 2018.
During his 5 years at the Ibrox club, he helped them win their 55th league title and narrowly missed out on a Europa League victory when Rangers were beaten on penalties by Frankfurt.
The midfielder now plays for Charlotte FC and is a keen musician, formerly fronting Scottish Indie-rockers, The Begbies.
Charlotte currently sits mid-table in the MLS Eastern Conference and are outsiders at around 40/1 to win the division. Sports betting is now legal in North Carolina, but offshore gambling sites like these are still popular for bettors looking for different markets and better
The published material expresses the position of the author, which may not coincide with the opinion of the editor.