 Nelson in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (2002-09-26)September 26, 2002 (age 23) | ||
| Place of birth | Brampton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2016 | Brampton YSC | ||
| 2016–2018 | Toronto FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Toronto FC III | 8 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Toronto FC II | 14 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Toronto FC | 45 | (1) |
| 2021 | →Toronto FC II (loan) | 9 | (3) |
| 2023–2025 | Rosenborg | 35 | (5) |
| 2024–2025 | →SSV Ulm (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2025– | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 23 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Canada U15 | 4 | (0) |
| 2019 | Canada U17 | 9 | (5) |
| 2020– | Canada | 12 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 5, 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of November 18, 2025 | |||
Jayden Nelson (born September 26, 2002) is a Canadian professionalsoccer player who plays as awinger forMajor League Soccer clubVancouver Whitecaps FC and theCanada national team.
Nelson grew up inBrampton, Ontario[1] and began playing soccer at age four with Brampton YSC.[2] He later joined theToronto FC Academy at age 14.[3][4]
Nelson made his debut forToronto FC III inLeague1 Ontario on September 2, 2017, in a game againstToronto Skillz FC in his only appearance of the season.[5] The following season, he made seven appearances,[6] scoring his first goal for Toronto FC III on June 17, 2018, againstWindsor TFC.[7]
Nelson made his professional debut forToronto FC II inUSL League One on April 6, 2019, coming on as a substitute againstOrlando City B.[8]
On January 23, 2020, Nelson signed aHomegrown Player contract with first-teamToronto FC.[9][10] He made his MLS debut for Toronto during theMLS is Back tournament, starting their round of 16 match againstNew York City FC.[11] He was loaned to the second team for some matches in 2021.[12][13] He scored his first professional goal for Toronto FC II on June 16, 2021, againstFort Lauderdale CF.[14]
In December 2021, after the conclusion of the2021 MLS season, Nelson joined Belgian clubAnderlecht for a training stint.[15] He scored his first MLS goal on April 9, 2022, againstReal Salt Lake.[16][17][18]
In February 2023, Toronto announced they had transferred Nelson toEliteserien sideRosenborg.[19][20] He made his official debut on April 16 againstMolde.[21] Nelson scored his first goal for his new club on June 4 againstHamKam, netting the third goal in an eventual 4–0 victory.[22]
Nelson joined2. Bundesliga clubSSV Ulm on loan in August 2024.[23] Ulm also secured an option to sign him permanently.[23]
On January 24, 2025, Nelson returned to Canada, signing withMajor League Soccer sideVancouver Whitecaps FC. The contract is for a transfer through 2028 with an option for the following year.[24] In Nelson's MLS debut with the Whitecaps, he would get a goal and three assists against thePortland Timbers.[25]
Nelson attended his first Canadian youth camp in 2016.[26] Nelson made his debut for the Canada national under-15 team in the2017 CONCACAF Boys' Under-15 Championship on August 13, 2017, against theUnited States.[2]
Nelson made his debut for the Canada national under-17 team in the2019 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship on May 2, 2019, against theUnited States.[2] AgainstGuatemala in the second game of the group stage, Nelson scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 win.[27] Nelson scored twice more in the tournament – against Curaçao andCosta Rica respectively – as Canada qualified for theFIFA Under-17 World Cup for the first time since 2013.[28] At the end of 2019, Nelson was named theCanadian Men's Youth International Player of the Year.[29][30]
Nelson was named to theCanadian U-23 provisional roster for the2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship on February 26, 2020.[31]
In January 2020, Nelson was called up to theCanadian senior team ahead of friendlies againstBarbados andIceland.[32] He made his debut on January 7 against Barbados, coming on as a substitute in a 4–1 victory[33] and scored his first goal three days later, also against Barbados.[34][35]
In June 2023, Nelson was named to Canada's preliminary roster for the2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[36] Initially left off the roster, on June 26 he was called into the final squad along withLiam Fraser as replacements forSam Adekugbe andStephen Eustáquio.[37]
Jayden was born in Canada and is of Jamaican descent.[38] In 2022, Nelson made a donation to his former elementary school to restart a snack program which had been discontinued.[39]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Toronto FC III | 2017[5] | League1 Ontario | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2018[6] | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 8 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |||||
| Toronto FC II | 2019 | USL League One | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | ||||||
| Total | 22 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 22 | 3 | |||||
| Toronto FC | 2020 | MLS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | 31 | 1 | — | 4[b] | 0 | — | — | 35 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 45 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 1 | ||
| Rosenborg | 2023 | Eliteserien | 24 | 4 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 30 | 6 | ||
| 2024 | 11 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 44 | 8 | |||
| SSV Ulm (loan) | 2024–25 | 2. Bundesliga | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2025 | MLS | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | |
| Career total | 139 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 168 | 16 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2020 | 3 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 10, 2020 | Championship Soccer Stadium,Irvine, United States |  Barbados | 4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 2 | July 4, 2023 | Shell Energy Stadium,Houston, United States |  Cuba | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Toronto FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Individual
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