This story is part of Billboard’s Global World Cup Series, a collection of 11 cover stories which pairs top soccer stars across the world competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with highly-touted musicians in accompanying countries.
In just a few days, the eyes of the world will turn to Toronto and Vancouver for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At the center of that global spotlight stands Alphonso Davies, captain of the Canadian men’s national team.
Though he’s battling through injuries and may miss the beginning of the tournament, the 25-year-old soccer star is a perfect encapsulation of the young and scrappy host team and the country they represent. He’s stylish and energetic, easy to root for, but not just happy to be here. He wants to win. He wants to show the world that Canadians aren’t just hockey-playing nice guys. They can be ruthless. They can win. And, as with globally popular artists like Drake and Justin Bieber, they can be the drivers of worldwide sport and culture.
“A lot of people underestimate us Canadians,” Davies says.
Born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled the civil war in Liberia, the player known affectionately as Phonzy has already lived many lives. His family immigrated to Canada when he was a young child, and he settled in Edmonton, Alberta when he was 5 years old. By the age of 15, he was a budding star on Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the first-ever player born in the 2000s to play professionally in the North American MLS league. Soon, he was transferred to Bayern Munich in Germany, where he has won seven Bundesliga titles — the most recent coming less than two months ago, after recovering from recent hamstring and ACL injuries and an earlier diagnosis of myocarditis (heart inflammation).
