More Canadian players than ever are playing in Europe, and quite a few players moved overseas after Canada's run to the Copa America semifinal this summer.
Some players, like Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies, FC Porto's Stephen Eustaquio and Lille's Jonathan David, have been with their current clubs for years.
Others will be focused on working their way into the starting lineup with their new club in order to impress Canada Men's National Team head coach Jesse Marsch.
Listed in alphabetical order by last name, let's check out the key Canadian soccer players who will ply their trade in Europe's top leagues this season.
Team | Auxerre (Ligue 1 - France) |
Position | Striker |
Age | 24 |
Hometown | Ottawa, Ontario |
Striker Thelonius "Theo" Bair earned himself a move to newly-promoted Auxerre in France's Ligue 1.
Bair scored 15 goals to go with six assists for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership in 2023, and he moved to France for about $2 million.
He ended the season with the sixth-most goals in the league and earned a call-up to the Canada team for the Copa America.
Team | Nice (Ligue 1 - France) |
Position | Center Back |
Age | 24 |
Hometown | Montreal, Quebec |
Moise Bombito earned a move from the Colorado Rapids in MLS to Nice in France's top flight off the back of his performances for Canada this summer.
Standing at 6-foot-3, Bombito is an aerial threat and has won 59.8 percent of his aerial duels since entering MLS in 2023. He makes about four clearances and five ball recoveries per game.
This season, Bombito has played a big role in Colorado going from the worst team in the MLS Western Conference last year to being a top-four side now. He moved to Nice for around $8 million.
Team | Inter Milan (Serie A - Italy) |
Position | Right Wing-Back |
Age | 25 |
Hometown | Brampton, Ontario |
Tajon Buchanan moved from Club Brugge to Inter Milan last season and made 10 substitute appearances in Serie A, scoring one goal. He'll miss the start of the 2024/25 season after he suffered a broken tibia in training with Canada.
The wing-back fits Inter's tactics like a glove, as he provides a like-for-like backup for starting right wing-back Denzel Dumfries. Buchanan will get plenty of chances to get forward once he returns from injury, which is said to be late in 2024.
Team | Marseille (Ligue 1 - France) |
Position | Center Back |
Age | 26 |
Hometown | Ajax, Ontario |
One of two Canadians to move to Marseille this summer, center back Derek Cornelius started and played the full 90 minutes in his new team's 5-1 win to open the season.
Cornelius was ever-present for Swedish club Malmo over the past season and a half. Malmo won the league the season he joined, and he left the club in first place this season.
This season before leaving Sweden, Cornelius was one of the best passers with a 91.1 pass completion percentage, and he won a stellar 73.5 percent of his duels for the ball.
Team | LOSC Lille (Ligue 1 - France) |
Position | Striker |
Age | 24 |
Hometown | Ottawa, Ontario |
At this point in his career, fans know what they will get from Jonathan David. He has scored at a rate better than one goal every two matches for the past two seasons, and he came off the bench at halftime and scored in Lille's season-opening match.
David has never scored less than 10 goals in a full season as a professional, and he consistently outscores his expected goals (xG). He has 102 career goals on 84.0 xG, and he has 85 non-penalty goals on 68.4 non-penalty xG.
Finally, and arguably most importantly, David stays healthy as he's played 34 matches or more in each of the last four seasons. With his contract expiring in June 2025, his name will be among the transfer rumors until he signs a contract, either with Lille or another club.
Team | Union Saint-Gilloise (Pro League - Belgium) |
Position | Striker |
Age | 23 |
Hometown | Brampton, Ontario |
Promise David - no relation to Jonathan - is a new name on the Canadian soccer radar, and if early indications prove correct, he should burst onto the scene this season.
The 6-foot-5 forward plays for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium, which is owned by the same owner as English side Brighton and Hove Albion. That means Saint-Gilloise has one of the world's best scouting networks at its disposal, which in turn means that David has serious potential.
David, who moved to Saint-Gilloise from Estonian side Kalju FC for $400,000, scored in his second match in Belgium. He plays for the same team that produced Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface, so he's in good hands.
Team | Bayern Munich (Bundesliga - Germany) |
Position | Left Back/Left Wing |
Age | 23 |
Hometown | Edmonton, Alberta |
Alphonso Davies' name has been in the headlines as he was linked to Real Madrid this summer, but he appears set to stay at Bayern Munich.
The rapid left-back will probably enjoy playing for new Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany, who will want the team to attack freely. Davies recorded five assists last season and will want to help his team back to the top of the league after finishing third in 2023/24.
Team | FC Porto (Liga Portugal - Portugal) |
Position | Central Midfield |
Age | 27 |
Hometown | Leamington, Ontario |
A midfield general, Stephen Eustaquio lost his place in the FC Porto starting lineup toward the end of 2023/24.
So far this season, he has started one of his team's two league games as he competes for playing time with younger midfielders including Nico Gonzalez and Alan Varela. He had two goals and two assists last year as a deep-lying midfield.
Team | Watford (on loan from Bournemouth) |
Position | Striker |
Age | 21 |
Hometown | Oakville, Ontario |
Canada Men's National Team-eligible forward Daniel Jebbison has 43 Premier League minutes under his belt. The 21-year-old made a name for himself with seven goals for Burton Albion in England's League One - the third tier - back in 2021/22.
Jebbison's career has stalled since, but he moved from Sheffield United to Premier League side Bournemouth this summer on a free transfer. Bournemouth then sent him on loan to Watford on deadline day.
If he can get regular game time and score some goals, coach Marsch could come calling. He'll compete with Vakoun Bayo for playing time at his new club.
Team | Celtic (Premiership - Scotland) |
Position | Right Back |
Age | 25 |
Hometown | Vancouver, British Columbia |
Alistair Johnston is a defense-first fullback who usually plays on the right side of a back three for Canada, but he still managed to record a career-high five assists for Celtic last year.
He also kept up his defensive solidity, winning 70.9 percent of his tackles and averaging 5.2 duels won and 5.2 ball recoveries per match. He'll want more of the same this year, especially when it comes to improving the attacking side of his game.
Team | Marseille (Ligue 1 - France) |
Position | Central Midfield |
Age | 22 |
Hometown | Montreal, Quebec |
Ismael Kone, the box-to-box midfielder next to Eustaquio in most Canada lineups, earned a move from Watford in the English Championship to Marseille in France's Ligue 1, where he'll join aforementioned defender Derek Cornelius.
Kone will play under Roberto de Zerbi, one of the world's most respected rising managers. Marseille has undergone a minor rebuild this offseason and Kone projects to grow into being a foundational piece of the team's midfield for years to come.
Now 22 years old, Kone had the best season of his career in terms of end product in the 2023/24 Championship campaign, scoring four goals and providing three assists. He'll look to improve the defensive side of his game in France.
Team | Mallorca (La Liga - Spain) |
Position | Striker |
Age | 29 |
Hometown | Brampton, Ontario |
Powerhouse striker Cyle Larin had arguably the worst season of his professional career in 2023/24, scoring three goals on 9.0 xG in 35 appearances.
Mallorca somehow stayed in La Liga - finishing 15th - but Larin will need to pick up his play if the team wants to have an easier time staying up this time around. If he can finish chances as the rate his xG would suggest, it would be huge for both the player and the club.
Team | Hull City (Championship - England) |
Position | Left Wing/Left Wing-Back |
Age | 24 |
Hometown | Toronto, Ontario |
Liam Millar had a nice season with five goals and five assists for Preston North End in the English Championship last season, and it earned him a $4.5 million move to fellow Championship club Hull City.
Millar already provided an assist in his first start, a 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle. He mostly played as a wing-back for Preston, but he lined up on the wing as an attacker for Canada and Hull.
A strong dribbler who averaged nearly six progressive carries and 2.46 successful take-ons, Millar can make things happen with the ball at his feet. Canada coach Marsch would love to see him use his individual skill to take defenses apart on a regular basis in the Championship.
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