VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC forwards Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson have been called up to Canada's men's national team for a pair of matches in the upcoming September international window.
Canada will first face Romania (FIFA rank #48) on Friday, September 5 at Arena Națională in Bucharest (kickoff at 11 a.m. PT), followed by a match against Wales (FIFA rank #31) on Tuesday, September 9 at Swansea.com Stadium in Swansea (kickoff at 11:45 a.m. PT). These fixtures mark Canada’s first-ever meeting with Romania and fourth all-time encounter with Wales as the Men’s National Team continues its preparation for the FIFA World Cup 26™.
Ahmed will be looking to add to his 17 appearances for his country since making his debut at the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup, while Nelson has played made eight appearances for Canada. The 'Caps duo was part of Canada's squad at the inaugural Canadian Shield tournament and the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup earlier this summer.
“The Gold Cup did not go the way we planned, and the group is eager to get back to work again. Romania and Wales are both formidable opponents and playing away from home always presents a challenging opportunity. These are the kinds of games that will show us where we stand and where we still need to improve with less than a year until the World Cup," said Jesse Marsch, MLS Canada Head Coach of the Men’s National Team.
This window's squad also features former Whitecaps FC players Derek Cornelius, Maxime Crépeau, Junior Hoilett, and Richie Laryea, as well as BC natives Niko Sigur and Joel Waterman.
Broadcast Information
Both September friendly matches will air live on OneSoccer, available on the fuboTV Canada platform, as a linear channel on Telus’s Optik TV (Channel 980), as well as online at OneSoccer.ca and through the OneSoccer app. Fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital channels on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky, and YouTube featuring the hashtag #CANMNT.
CANMNT A-Z
Player | Age | City in which they grew up | Notable Canadian youth clubs
Ahmed, Ali | 24 | Toronto, ON, CAN | North Toronto SC
Bassong, Zorhan | 26 | Toronto, ON, CAN | CS Longueuil
Buchanan, Tajon | 26 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Choinière, Mathieu | 26 | St-Alexandre, QC, CAN | AS Haut-Richelieu
Cornelius, Derek | 27 | Ajax, ON, CAN | Ajax SC
Crépeau, Maxime | 31 | Candiac, QC, CAN | Ligue de soccer pour enfants de Candiac
David, Jonathan | 25 | Ottawa, ON, CAN | Ottawa Gloucester Dragons
David, Promise | 24 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Vaughan Azzurri
De Fougerolles, Luc | 19 | London, UK |
Eustáquio, Stephen | 28 | Leamington, ON, CAN | Leamington MS
Hoilett, Junior | 35 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Hibbert, Jayden | 21 | Teaneck, NJ |
Knight-Lebel, Jamie | 20 | Montréal, QC, CAN |
Koné, Ismaël | 23 | Montréal, QC, CAN | AS Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Larin, Cyle | 30 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Laryea, Richie | 30 | Toronto, ON, CAN | Club Uruguay Toronto
Marshall-Rutty, Jahkeele | 21 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton East SC
Nelson, Jayden | 22 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton YSC
Oluwaseyi, Tani | 24 | Mississauga, ON, CAN | GPS Academy
Saliba, Nathan | 21 | Longueuil, QC, CAN | CS Longueuil
Shaffelburg, Jacob | 25 | Port Williams, NS, CAN | Valley United SC
Sigur, Niko | 21 | Burnaby, BC, CAN | Mountain United FC
St. Clair, Dayne | 28 | Pickering, ON, CAN | Ephinay Church Soccer League
Waterman, Joel | 29 | Surrey, BC, CAN | Surrey United SC
