If it weren’t for Davies, Canadian soccer wouldn’t be where it is today, and likely wouldn’t be co-hosting the World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico.
Born in the Buduburam refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled the Liberian civil war, Davies emigrated to Canada as a child with two younger siblings. The family settled in Edmonton, where he blossomed into a teenage soccer phenom before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS academy – a pivotal fixture of elite soccer in Western Canada – at the age of 14.
While Davies made his professional debut less than a year later, his overall dream had been to become Canadian. In June 2017, that happened as the then-16-year-old took his oath of citizenship in downtown Vancouver before quickly joining the Canada squad for the Gold Cup.
“It’s the first time he saw his mom cry; he was learning (aspects of) his story just as the world was, so that’s when my eyes were really opened,” Farhan Devji, who wrote the book ‘Alphonso Davies: A New Hope,’ recalled.
In many ways, Davies and his family embody the Canadian story, embracing the culture and establishing roots in the country. Davies is a massive hockey fan, as much as he is a soccer fan, music enthusiast and video game streamer – and often during the offseason, he can be found alongside NHL stars at Edmonton Oilers games.
It all led to a fateful day in Moscow in 2018. Then, a 17-year-old with a brace-faced smile and a skinny frame, yet to fill out and become the muscular specimen he is now, stepped to the podium at the FIFA Congress and made a final pitch for the North American nations to win the 2026 hosting rights.
“My name is Alphonso Davies. My parents are from Liberia and fled the civil war,” he said. “It was a hard life, but when I was five years old, a country called Canada welcomed us in, and the boys on the football team made me feel at home.
“My dream is to someday compete in the World Cup. The people of North America have always welcomed me, and if given the opportunity, I know they’ll welcome you.”
