Why Alphonso Davies plays for Canada with Bayern Munich star key to host’s World Cup chances

Alphonso Davies’ diary is already a fascinating read, and it’s nowhere near finished yet.

The highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup is getting closer and closer.

Getty

Games will be played in 16 venues, across three countries – United States of America, Mexico and Canada.

It’s the first time that a World Cup game will be played on Canadian soil, and there is a particular buzz around their team.

They will be led out of the tunnel by the Bayern Munich left-back Davies, and the story of why he plays for Canada is truly inspiring.

Why does Alphonso Davies play for Canada?

Davies was born to Liberian parents in Buduburam, a refugee camp in Ghana, and was the youngest of six.

His father, Debeah Davies, and his mother, Victoria Davies, originally lived in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia – they fled during the Second Liberian Civil War, which displaced more than 450,000 Liberians.

“It was hard to live because the only way you survive is sometimes you have to carry guns,” Deebah said.

“We didn’t have any interest in shooting guns. So we decided to just escape from there.”

In 2005, they emigrated to Canada, settling in Edmonton, Alberta, and at the age of 14, Davies relocated alone to Vancouver to join the Whitecaps FC Residency program.

As part of the program, he attended Burnaby Central Secondary School and on June 6, 2017, he received Canadian citizenship until then, he had been a Liberian national.

He had already been on the national team’s radar, and a week after obtaining his citizenship, he made his Canadian debut against Curacao.

Getty

“That was a great moment for the family,” Davies added.

“I’m glad I could get it. It’s going to mean a lot, representing the country I’ve lived in for most of my life. 

“Having that [Canadian] crest on my chest, playing for them is going to mean a lot for me.”

Davies named Canada captain at just 23

After accumulating 47 caps at just 23-years-old, head coach Jesse Marsch announced that Davies would be the men’s senior captain in June 2024.

“Alphonso is a young and experienced professional who has all the tools to be an excellent captain,” Marsch said.

“He has been in the spotlight from a young age and handled it very well, I know that he is up to the challenge of taking on a more expanded role with more responsibility.”

Getty

At the time of the announcement, Davis had been named Canada’s soccer player of the year four times.

Legendary Canadian soccer star and captain Abita Hutchinson had retired in 2023, just a year after leading the team at the Qatar World Cup, paving the way for Davies to step into his shoes.

Davies is not short of silverware in his young career so far, and is hoping to be able to earn another one before the World Cup kicks off in June.

Davies searching for Champions League glory

Having won the Bundesliga this season, Davies is now hoping to help Bayern win the Champions League too.

The Champions League final will be held in Budapest on May 30, with Canada then gathering for their pre-World Cup camp. 

Two days after the showpiece European final, Canada face a tune-up against Uzbekistan in Davies’ hometown of Edmonton.

Getty

They then face Ireland on June 6 before their World Cup opener against Bosnia-Hercegovina in Toronto on June 12.

All 104 games at the 2026 World Cup this summer will be live on talkSPORT, talkSPORT 2 and the talkSPORT app.