Alphonso Davies

Alphonso Davies
Davies playing for Bayern Munich in 2022
Personal information
Full name Alphonso Boyle Davies[1]
Date of birth (2000-11-02) November 2, 2000 (age 24)[1][2]
Place of birth Buduburam, Ghana
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
 Bayern Munich
Number 19
Youth career
Edmonton Internationals
Edmonton Strikers
2015–2016 Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Whitecaps FC 2 11 (2)
2016–2018 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 65 (8)
2018–2019 Bayern Munich II 6 (0)
2019– Bayern Munich 145 (8)
International career‡
2016 Canada U17 12 (2)
2016 Canada U20 1 (0)
2017– Canada 56 (15)
Medal record
Men's soccer
Representing  Canada
CONCACAF Nations League
Runner-up 2023
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:27, November 22, 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 15, 2024

Alphonso Boyle Davies (born November 2, 2000) is a professional soccer player who plays as a left-back and winger for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and captains the Canada national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world, and one of the best North American players of all time. Davies has earned the nickname "The Roadrunner" for his exceptional pace, dribbling ability, and creativity.[4][5][6]

Davies was the first player born in the 2000s to play in a Major League Soccer match. He joined Bayern in January 2019 from MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps FC on a contract lasting until 2023 for a then-record MLS transfer fee.[7][8] Davies was named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season for 2019–20.[9] In that season he also was part of the team winning the continental treble after Bayern won the Bundesliga, the UEFA Champions League and the DFB-Pokal. His performances led him to be a finalist of 2020 Golden Boy award.[10]

Born in Ghana to refugee Liberian parents, Davies and his family relocated to Canada when he was 5 years old. Davies obtained Canadian citizenship in June 2017; he was until then a Liberian national. Later that month, he became the youngest player to appear for the Canada national team.[11] By scoring two goals in a 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup match against French Guiana, he became the youngest player to score for the team, the youngest to score at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and first player born in the 2000s to score at a top level international tournament.[12] He would go on to be named CONCACAF Men's Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022.[13][14] Davies was called up to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he scored Canada's first ever World Cup goal. He is widely considered both the best player on and the face of the Canada national team.[15][16][17]

Davies is the first soccer player, and first Canadian, to become an ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR.[18]

  1. ^ a b "FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2020: Squad list" (PDF). FIFA. February 1, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  2. ^ Alphonso Davies at the Canadian Soccer Association. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  3. ^ "Alphonso Davies". FC Bayern Munich (in German). Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  4. ^ Mithani, Priyank (January 8, 2022). "5 most valuable full-backs in the world right now – January 2022". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  5. ^ McCambridge, Ed; published, Mark White (October 15, 2021). "Best left-backs in the world: the top 10, ranked". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  6. ^ "The best left-back in the world! Davies' rise has Bayern eyeing Champions League glory". Goal (website). Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "FC Bayern verpflichtet Alphonso Davies bis 2023" [Bayern commits Alphonso Davies until 2023]. FC Bayern Munich (in German). July 25, 2018. Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference MLS record was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference roty was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Buhler, Andy (July 5, 2017). "Canadian soccer phenom Alphonso Davies' talent belies his youth". The Star. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  12. ^ Schuller, Rudi. "Davies becomes first 2000s-born player to score at a top level international tournament". Goal (website). Archived from the original on July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference CONCACAF POTY was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference CONCACAF POTY 2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Kloke, Joshua (March 22, 2022). "How Canada have continued their success without Alphonso Davies, who could be on the verge of becoming 'the most famous Canadian athlete'". The Athletic. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  16. ^ Callaghan, Joe (October 14, 2021). "Alphonso Davies' Canadian moment has arrived. Don't sleep on it". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  17. ^ Armstrong, Laura (October 11, 2019). "Alphonso Davies is the face of Canadian men's soccer — and he's just getting started". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  18. ^ Stone, Simon (March 24, 2021). "Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies on his parents fleeing war and his efforts to help refugees". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2021.