10 Canadian stars to watch in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup
This year’s Concacaf Champions Cup is must-watch TV for Canadian soccer supporters.
Not just because there are three Canadian Premier League clubs competing for the first time. Nor the fact that the Vancouver Whitecaps will be on a mission to get back to the competition’s final after losing to Cruz Azul last year. With MLS player transfers, in particular, this year’s tournament features a significant number of key Canadian internationals who will look to make their mark in the region’s premier club competition.
Here are ten Canadian players to watch in this year’s tournament:
DF - Noah Abatneh (Atlético Ottawa / CAN)
The 21-year-old Atlético Ottawa central defender established himself as one of the Canadian Premier League’s best this past season with the league champions. He finished the year as a nominee for both the CPL’s Defender of the Year award and its Best U-21 Canadian Player of the Year awards.
These performances earned him a first call-up to the Canadian men’s senior national team, coming off the bench in a January friendly against Guatemala. The centrepiece of an incredibly young Atleti backline, Abatneh will be crucial to success in his side’s first foray into continental competition.
FW - Thierno Bah (Vancouver FC / CAN)
Also just 21, Bah has already proven himself to be a man for the big moments – and was vital to Vancouver FC qualifying for their first Concacaf Champions Cup. He had two assists in the TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final first leg against Atlético Ottawa, before adding a goal and an assist in the final against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
In CPL action, he added a pair of goals and six assists, earning a nomination for the CPL’s Best Canadian U-21 Player of the Year award. Dynamic and exciting on both sides of the ball, he could prove a gamebreaker for VFC in this competition, and further elevate his rising stock on the continental stage.
MF - Mathieu Choinière (LAFC / USA)
After spending last season on loan with LAFC from Swiss side Grasshopper, the Canadian international midfielder’s option to buy was excercised by the MLS club in December. Now, after making 13 appearances and scoring once during the second half of the MLS season, Choinière will now look to solidify his place in the middle of the park for one of the league’s top teams.
The 26-year-old has 21 caps for the Canadian men’s national team, and will now look to establish himself in his first full season in LA under Canadian coach Marc Dos Santos. The Champions Cup could be a key early opportunity to earn minutes during a World Cup year.
FW - Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps / CAN)
The 18-year-old dual national enters his second professional season with a lot of excitement after breaking through with the Whitecaps first team in 2025. He scored twice and added two assists in all competitions for the Caps last season.
His breakout, however, came after the club had already completed their historic Concacaf run, so he will be looking to fight for his first continental minutes. After earning his first Canada call-up, and a start in a 1-0 win over Guatemala in January, Elloumi will have all the confidence to hit the ground running in 2026.
MF - Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL / MEX)
Another dual-national that looks all but officially confirmed to have filed his one-time switch to join Les Rouges, Marcelo Flores will get to open the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup on Canadian soil in Hamilton, not far from Georgetown, Ontario, where he was born.
Flores is off to a flying start to the LigaMX Clausura, scoring a brilliant brace in a 2-1 win over Atlético San Luis to kick off the competition. The Concacaf Champions Cup could provide him an excellent opportunity to continue that positive momentum, and get regular minutes with Tigres.
FW - Santiago López (Pumas UNAM / MEX)
Last year, 20-year-old attacker Santiago López scored his first professional goal in a 2-1 loss to Cavalry FC in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup. López, who has been called up for the Canadian senior team but yet to earn a cap, was prolific for Canada’s youth national teams with six goals in seven appearances at the U-20 level.
He has made one appearance so far this season off the bench in Pumas’ three games, but with the club now balancing Concacaf commitments with league action he should be in line for more minutes. Pumas open the tournament with a difficult draw against San Diego FC.
DF - Dan Nimick (Forge FC / CAN)
Having made his Forge debut in this competition last year, Dan Nimick will step into the 2026 Champions Cup with an incredibly successful first season with Forge under his belt. Winning the CPL’s Defender of the Year award, Nimick played a vital role in Forge keeping a CPL record 13 clean sheets.
Forge went on to lift the CPL Shield a regular season winners, a result which qualified them for Concacaf. Now in his second Concacaf Champions Cup, Nimick will be relied upon to lead the Forge backline against a lethal Tigres attack.
GK - Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami / USA)
It’s safe to say this is the biggest year of Dayne St. Clair’s career to date. Not only is he in a fierce for the national team’s starting job at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he now joins the defending MLS Cup Champions – a team in Inter Miami who will be desperate to make noise in this competition.
This will be St. Clair’s first Concacaf Champions Cup experience. As MLS Cup champs, Miami get a bye through the first round of the competition, and will face either Atlético Ottawa or Nashville SC in the round of 16.
MF/DF - Ralph Priso (Vancouver Whitecaps / CAN)
The 23-year-old played a pretty big role in the Whitecaps’ run to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup final, appearing in all but one match and making three starts. He made an outstanding 46 appearances for the Whitecaps in all competitions, scoring once and adding two assists.
Where he truly stood out, however, was in the playoffs when he moved back into a central defender role and played every single minute of the run to the MLS Cup Final. He was equally impressive for Canada in a 1-0 win over Guatemala in a January friendly.
MF - Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC / USA)
Shaffleburg has already had some pretty memorable moments in this competition, including scoring a brace against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the Round of 16 of the 2024 edition while playing for Nashville SC.
The 26-year-old from Kentville, NS will need to hit the ground running with new club LAFC if he wants to earn a spot at the World Cup for Canada, and this competition could provide a great opportunity to do so. LAFC open the tournament against Honduran side Real España.
