Davies was the first player born in the 2000s to play in aMajor League Soccer match. He joined Bayern in January 2019 from MLS sideVancouver Whitecaps FC on a contract lasting until 2023 for a then-record MLS transfer fee, and in February 2025 signed a new contract with Bayern Munich until June 2030.[7][8] Davies was named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season for2019–20.[9] In that season he also was part of the team winning thecontinental treble after Bayern won the Bundesliga, theUEFA Champions League and theDFB-Pokal. His performances led him to be a finalist of 2020Golden Boy award.[10]
Born a Liberian refugee in Ghana, Davies and his family relocated to Canada when he was five 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 a2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup match againstFrench Guiana, he became the youngest player to score for the team, the youngest to score at theCONCACAF Gold Cup, and first player born in the 2000s to score at a top level international tournament.[12] He would go on to be namedCONCACAF Men's Player of the Year in2021 and2022.[13][14] Davies was called up to play in the2022 FIFA World Cup, where he scored Canada's first ever goal at a men's World Cup. 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]
Davies was born toLiberian parents inBuduburam, arefugee camp in Ghana, the fourth youngest of six siblings.[19][20][21] His father, Debeah Davies, and his mother, Victoria Davies, originally lived inMonrovia, the capital of Liberia.[22] They fled during theSecond Liberian Civil War, which displaced more than 450,000 Liberians.[23][24] In 2005, the family emigrated to Canada, eventually settling inEdmonton.[11][23] After moving to Edmonton, Davies attended Mother Teresa Elementary School.[25] At the age of 14, Davies relocated alone toVancouver to join the Whitecaps FC Residency program.[26] As part of the program, he attendedBurnaby Central Secondary School.[26] On June 6, 2017, he received Canadian citizenship;[27] until then he had been aLiberian national.[23]
Davies attended St Nicholas Catholic Junior High in theEdmonton Catholic School District. His school soccer teammate Onesphore Hamis recalled, "Soccer was the thing he wanted to get into, but language was a problem."[28] His classmate and fellow Liberian immigrant Chernoh Fahnbulleh recalled of Davies, "He spokeEnglish but it was, like, broken English".[28]
As a child in Edmonton, Davies first played organized soccer with Free Footie, an after-school soccer league for inner-city elementary school students who cannot afford registration fees and equipment, or who lack transportation to games.[29]
After playing for Edmonton Internationals, and Edmonton Strikers, Davies joined theWhitecaps FC Residency in 2015 at the age of 14.[30][19][31]
After joiningVancouver Whitecaps FC during their 2016 MLS preseason tour,[32] Davies signed withWhitecaps FC 2 in theUSL on February 23, 2016.[33] At the time of his signing, he became the youngest player signed to a USL contract at 15 years, 3 months. Davies made his professional debut for Whitecaps FC 2 at the age of 15 years, 5 months in April 2016.[34] On May 15, 2016, he scored his first professional goal, making him the youngest goal scorer in USL history at 15 years, 6 months,[35] a record held by Davies until 2020. He scored two goals in 11 games played during the2016 season.[36]
Davies was named to the Whitecaps roster for the2016 Canadian Championship on a short-term contract.[37] On June 1, 2016, he made his first team debut in the first leg of the Canadian Championship againstOttawa Fury FC and started the second leg in Vancouver.[38]
Davies playing in the Canadian Championship in 2016
On July 15, 2016, Davies signed a first team contract with the Whitecaps through 2018, with options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. At the time of his signing, he was the youngest active player inMajor League Soccer, and the third youngest player to have signed an MLS contract.[39] Davies made his MLS debut on July 16, 2016, becoming the second youngest player to play in MLS, behindFreddy Adu.[40] In September 2016, he scored his first goal for the first team in the2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League againstSporting Kansas City in injury time to send the club through to the knockout round.[41] In September 2016, Davies became the second youngest starter in MLS history when he started a game against theColorado Rapids.[42] On October 2, 2016, he started against rival clubSeattle Sounders FC earning a penalty kick.[43] During the2016 season, Davies played in eight MLS games,[44] four Canadian Championship games,[44] and three games in the CONCACAF Champions League.[45] In the2017 season, he played in both legs againstNew York Red Bulls andTigres UANL in the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively, in which he scored in a 2–0 win over New York Red Bulls.[45]
Following his impressive early MLS appearances, Davies attracted interest and was scouted by European clubs includingManchester United,Chelsea, andLiverpool,[46] and was also named one of the 60 best young soccer talents in the world in 2017.[47] In the2018 season opener against theMontreal Impact, Davies scored his first goal in MLS action, and assisted on aKei Kamara goal.[48] On June 10, 2018, he scored a goal and got three assists in a 5–2 win overOrlando City SC.[49] Davies scored two goals and provided two assists to help his side defeatMinnesota United with a 4–2 victory on July 29.[50] On June 29, 2018, Davies was included in the MLS All-Star roster for the2018 MLS All-Star Game on August 1 againstJuventus.[51] Davies made an appearance during the match, which finished as a 3–5 penalty shoot-out loss following a 1–1 draw.[52] Davies was named the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Player of the Year on October 24,[53] and also received the Whitecaps' Goal of the Year award.[54] In Davies' final game for Vancouver on October 28, he scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over thePortland Timbers.[55]
On July 25, 2018, Vancouver announced that it had agreed to a multi-million-dollar transfer of Davies toBundesliga clubBayern Munich, with Davies seeing out the 2018 MLS season with Vancouver, before joining Bayern in January 2019.[56][57] The base fee for the transfer was US$13.5 million, with performance-related bonuses that total $22 million, a then-record for MLS,[8] later eclipsed by the transfer ofMiguel Almirón toNewcastle United.[58] Davies had his first training session with Bayern on November 21, 2018,[59] and debuted on January 12, 2019, againstBorussia Mönchengladbach in theTelekom Cup championship finale, which Bayern won on penalties following a scoreless draw.[60] Davies made his Bundesliga debut on January 27 againstVfB Stuttgart, appearing as a late substitute forKingsley Coman in a 3–1 victory.[61] He scored his first goal for Bayern on March 17, netting the final goal in a 6–0 rout ofMainz 05.[62] In doing so, and at the age of 18 years, 4 months and 15 days, he became the youngest player sinceRoque Santa Cruz, twenty years prior, to score for the club. He is the first Canada international to score for Bayern.[63] On May 18, 2019, Davies won his first Bundesliga title as Bayern finished two points aboveDortmund with 78 points. A week later, Davies won his firstDFB-Pokal as Bayern defeatedRB Leipzig 3–0 in the2019 DFB-Pokal Final. Davies was not selected for the match day squad.[64]
2019–20: First team breakthrough and Champions League triumph
Davies made his first Bundesliga start with Bayern on matchday nine of the2019–20 Bundesliga season, going the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 home victory overUnion Berlin.[65] He made his firstUEFA Champions League start on November 6, 2019, in a 2–0 victory againstOlympiacos.[66] Throughout the2019–20 season, coachNiko Kovač moved Davies to the left back position, following long-term injuries toNiklas Süle andLucas Hernandez, to allowDavid Alaba to play at centre back.[67][68] Davies earned high praise during his time in that role, gaining an early reputation as one of the best left backs in the world.[69] On February 25, 2020, Davies set-upRobert Lewandowski's goal in a 3–0 away win overChelsea in the first leg of the round of 16 of theChampions League; his performance during the match was widely praised in the media, with punditGary Lineker commenting that Davies played "beautifully," while former U.S. internationalStuart Holden described him as a "world class left back."[70]
In April 2020, Bayern Munich and Davies agreed to a contract extension to 2025, adding two years onto his existing contract.[71]
Following the restart of the Bundesliga which had halted all matches due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Davies started against bothEintracht Frankfurt andBorussia Dortmund. He scored and assisted in the Frankfurt match and ended up running down Dortmund'sErling Haaland at a speed of 35.3 km/h (21.9 mph).[72] On June 16, 2020, Davies featured for Bayern againstWerder Bremen in a game they won 1–0, securing Bayern Munich their eighth consecutive league title. Davies was sent off in the 79th minute for a second yellow card, but not before breaking the record for the fastest speed clocked in the Bundesliga at 36.51 km/h (22.69 mph).[73] Davies was named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year for the 2019–20 season.[9]
On August 14, 2020, Davies, who was playing the left-back position, was applauded for assistingJoshua Kimmich's goal againstBarcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals which Bayern Munich won8–2.[74] On August 23, he started in theChampions League final againstParis Saint-Germain, which Bayern won 1–0 to complete acontinental treble;[75] consequently, Davies became the first Canadian international to win the Champions League.[76]
2020–present: Domestic success and contract extension
On October 24, Davies was forced off in the third minute of play in an eventual 5–0 home win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, after sustaining an injury to his right ankle; it was later announced that he was expected to remain sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks.[77]
On January 5, 2022, Davies tested positive forCOVID-19,[79] prompting Bayern to do further tests and on January 14, it was revealed that he had developed mildmyocarditis; he was unable to train with the rest of the Bayern squad.[80][81] Davies is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and had received his booster shot in December 2021.[82]
On October 8, Davies sustained acranial bruise while taking a foot to the face in the 45th minute in a challenge with Dortmund'sJude Bellingham of a 2–2 away draw.[83]
On March 4, 2023, Davies made his 100th Bundesliga appearance in Bayern's 2–1 victory overVfB Stuttgart, which made him the youngest non-German to reach that feat for Bayern Munich.[84] On May 8, 2024, he scored his first Champions League goal in thesemi-final second leg, which granted his team a 1–0 away lead againstReal Madrid, before conceding two late goals and losing 4–3 on aggregate.[85] On February 4, 2025, he extended his contract with the club until 2030.[86] Davies scored a 94th-minute equalizer againstCeltic in the Champions League round of 16 match on February 19, 2025, enabling Bayern to progress 3–2 on aggregate.[87] A month later, he sustained anACL injury in his right knee during international break, which would sideline him for the rest of the 2024–25 season.[88]
Although a Liberian citizen by birth, Davies was called to numerous Canada under-15 and under-18 camps in 2014 and 2015.[2] On March 17, 2016, he was called up to the Canada under-20 squad for a friendly against England under-20.[89][90] In November 2016, Davies attended a Canada under-17 camp, where he scored againstJamaica.[91] In 2016, he was named the Canada U17 Male Player of the Year for his performances with the under-17 and under-20 squads in friendlies.[92] In March 2017, Davies stated in an interview that, "to be able to represent Canada, it is one of my dreams."[93] In 2017, he was named the Canada under-17 Male Player of the Year for a second time due to his performances with the senior team.[94]
Born a Liberian refugee, Davies was originally only eligible for theLiberian national team.[95][96] On June 6, 2017, Davies passed his Canadian citizenship test and officially became a citizen of Canada, making him eligible to play for theCanada national team.[27] On the same day, Davies was added to a senior team camp for a friendly againstCuraçao,[97] as well as Canada's preliminary 40-man roster for the2017 Gold Cup.[98] Davies debuted for the senior team on June 13, 2017 during a friendly game against Curaçao at the age of 16, making him the youngest player to play for the national team.[99] On June 27, Davies was named to the final 23-man squad for the2017 Gold Cup.[100] In Canada's first match of that tournament, on July 7, 2017, Davies scored twice in a 4–2 victory overFrench Guiana. The goals made him the youngest goalscorer in both Gold Cup andCanada history.[101][102] He then scored in their second match againstCosta Rica to earn a 1–1 draw.[103] Davies went on to win the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer, the Young Player of the Tournament award, and was included in the tournament's Best XI selection.[104]
On May 30, 2019, Davies was named to the squad for the2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[105] Davies was called up for a pair of2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League A matches againstCuba on September 7 and 10, 2019. In the second match, Davies scored the decisive goal in a 1–0 victory for Canada.[106] In October 2019, Davies helped lead Canada to their first win over theUnited States in 34 years, scoring the opening goal of their CONCACAF Nations League match, which ended 2–0, and becoming at 18 years and 10 months Canada’s youngest goalscorer inCONCACAF Nations League.[107]
In July 2021, Davies was named to the Canada squad for the2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup,[108] however he suffered an ankle injury on July 9, two days before Canada's opening match at the tournament, that ruled him out of the competition.[109] On October 13, 2021, in aWorld Cup qualifying match againstPanama, Davies scored a highlight reel goal, making an 80-yard run to keep the ball in play, reaching a top speed of 37.1 km/h (23.1 mph).[110][111] In his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Davies played a key role in Canada's 2–1 World Cup qualifying win over Mexico inNovember 2021.
Davies played a central role in Canada's qualification campaign for most of the calendar, but he missed the final two international windows as a result of having developed mild myocarditis.[112] His livestreamTwitch commentaries on the remaining games attracted media attention, in particular his reaction to the 4–0 victory overJamaica that officially qualified Canada for the2022 World Cup. This was only the second time Canada had managed this feat, and the first time since1986.[113]
In May 2022, Davies was called up to the Canada squad for twoCONCACAF Nations League matches and a friendly.[114] In the June 9 game againstCuraçao, he marked his return to international competition after his myocarditis-related absence with two goals in a 4–0 victory for Canada.[115]
In November 2022, Davies was named toCanada's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[116] In Canada's first match of the tournament againstBelgium on November 23, he failed to score an early penalty in an eventual 1–0 loss, withThibaut Courtois saving his shot.[117] Four days later, he scored Canada's first ever goal at theFIFA World Cup in the match againstCroatia; however, Croatia came back to win 4–1, eliminating Canada from the tournament after two matches.[118]As Canada’s second goal in the competition was anown goal by MoroccanNayef Aguerd, he remains Canada’s only goalscorer ever inFIFA World Cup.[119]
In June 2023, Davies was named to the final 23-man squad for Canada ahead of the2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals.[120] Having missed the final months of the club season due to a hamstring injury, Davies did not start in the semi-final against Panama, but came off the bench as a substitute in the second half and scored the team's second goal in a 2–0 victory. Canada advanced to the tournament final againstthe United States, their first tournament final in 23 years,[121] but lost 2–0 to the Americans.[122]
Davies captained Canada for the first time in a friendly against theNetherlands on June 6, 2024.[123] On June 15, Davies was named to Canada's squad for the2024 Copa América.[124] He was later named the team's captain for the tournament by head coachJesse Marsch, succeeding longtime veterans Atiba Hutchinson andMilan Borjan.[125] Davies would captain his country all the way to the semifinals of the tournament, with Canada finishing fourth.
In a September 2024 friendly inKansas City, Kansas, Davies captainedLes Rouges to a 2–1 win against the United States, their first on American soil since 1957.[126]
While named to the initial roster for Canada's November 2024 tie against Suriname in the2024–25 CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals, Davies would withdraw before the international window for what head coach Jesse Marsch described as "match fatigue".[127] Canada would win the tie 4–0 on aggregate to progress to the2025 Nations League finals.[128]
Although mainly playing as an attacking full back on the left flank, Davies is capable of playing as awing-back,left midfielder, orwinger due to his explosive pace,dribbling, creativity, andcrossing ability, which allow him to make overlapping runs and serve as an attacking threat for his teams. Although his positional sense has been cited as an area in which he needs to improve, his pace and intelligence allows him to drop back to provide defensive cover for his team, and assist at both ends of the pitch. He is considered to be a highly promising young player in the media.[23][129][130]
Davies has been widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world, with particular praise for his ability to be able to also play as an offensive winger if needed.[4][5][6] In his early seasons with Bayern he was praised as one of the world's best youth players, being listed on the 2020IFFHS World Youth Team and finished 3rd in voting for the 2020Golden Boy award; presented to the best under-21 player in Europe - the highest for a defender.[131][132] Regarded by many as the greatest Canadian player of all time since a young age, he is seen as the "face" of his national side and scored the country's first everWorld Cup goal in 2022.[15][16][17] He is also seen as one of the two best activeCONCACAF players worldwide withChristian Pulisic.[133][134]
Davies was in a relationship with fellow CanadianJordyn Huitema, aforward forParis Saint-Germain and theCanada women's national team starting from September 2017.[135] In September 2019, he was fined €20,000 for arriving late to a Bayern practice after visiting Huitema in Paris,[136] and by June 2020, French press were aware that Davies might be interested in having Huitema sign withBayern's women's side.[137] On May 22, 2022, Davies confirmed on social media that he and Huitema had split up.[138]
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French Guiana
Costa Rica
Cuba
United States
Cayman Islands
Aruba
Suriname
Panama
Curaçao
Croatia
Jamaica
