TIERNEY: These are the 4 Canadians competing in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Final
On Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps play in their first Continental final, looking to make history as the first Canadian club to win the Concacaf Champions Cup.
They take on Cruz Azul, a team steeped in history in this competition, who are battling for their seventh CCC victory, which would tie them with Liga MX rivals Club América for the most all-time. The match kicks off in Mexico City at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET on OneSoccer, with full pre- and post-match coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m. PT / 8:30 p.m. ET.
In getting the Whitecaps to this point, four Canadian players have played a particularly important role, and could do so again in the final on Sunday as they look to make history of their own.
Only one Canadian player has ever scored in a Concacaf Champions Cup Final: Jonathan Osorio in the first leg of the 2018 edition against Chivas Guadalajara. No Canadian player has ever won it.
Here are four Canadians who could play an important role for the Whitecaps in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup final:
Ali Ahmed
Under Jesper Sørensen, Ali Ahmed is a locked-in starter for the Vancouver Whitecaps. That includes starting all eight matches for the Whitecaps in this tournament, picking up an assist against Saprissa in Costa Rica.
Playing as a left winger for the most part, however, his influence in this competition for the Whitecaps has gone well beyond direct goal contributions. For example, the run he made through the middle with the ball to draw defenders and open up space for Pedro Vite to find Édier Ocampo for the opening goal in the second leg against CF Monterrey. Or, the opening goal against Inter Miami in Miami where he cut inside and played a beautiful ball into the box for Sebastian Berhalter, who found Brian White in the middle. In fact, he played an important role in the buildup to all three goals in that match.
This year, Ahmed has developed into one of the top playmakers in Major League Soccer, with five assists so far. Technically excellent, and able to carry the ball long distances himself on the dribble or break lines in the final third with outstanding passes, Ahmed is a true game changer in attack.
Defensively reliable as well, Ahmed’s tireless efforts on both sides of the ball have made him a mainstay with the Canadian men’s national team as well. He has been in Jesse Marsch’s starting lineup in Canada’s past eight matches, recently picking up an assist on Jonathan David’s winner against the United States in March.
GOAL 🏔️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 21, 2025
RYAN GAULD opens the scoring for @WhitecapsFC vs. Saprissa, setting up the attacking sequence before applying the cool finish to bury his effort into the bottom corner 🎯#VWFC | #ConcaChampions
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/WNBfBKP7OG
Sam Adekugbe
For most of this Concacaf Champions Cup run, Adekugbe was on the sidelines cheering on his teammates. The Canadian international full-back suffered a hamstring injury in early March and missed both the round of 16 and quarter-finals as a result.
In the second leg of the semi-final against Inter Miami, he finally returned in the second half to help the Whitecaps see out a dominant 3-1 victory. After slowly working his way back into the squad, Adekugbe started the past two games for Vancouver.
Throughout their Champions Cup run, the Whitecaps have largely relied on 19-year-old SuperDraft selection Tate Johnson, who has performed admirably in his first professional season. But with Adekugbe back available, the Whitecaps have a veteran player who knows what it takes to win big matches on the road in Concacaf, having played a key role in Canada’s qualification for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
He is capable of chipping in with goals as well, with three so far in all competitions for the Whitecaps this season. Vancouver will undoubtedly be thrilled that he looks to be fit and ready to play a role in this final.
Jayden Nelson
After three seasons playing in Europe between Germany and Norway, Nelson returned to Major League Soccer with a lot to prove. There is no doubt that he has already made quite a statement in Vancouver.
Injuries have limited Nelson’s involvement in the Concacaf Champions Cup run, as he has played just 138 minutes across the eight games, and started just once. He has, however, still been able to make an important impact, with a pair of assists, including one on a late goal in the first leg of the semi-final against Inter Miami.
Nelson’s standout attribute will always be his on-ball ability and speed in transition, and he's capable of creating chances for himself and others. But this year with the Whitecaps, he has also shown an outstanding playmaking ability, with six assists now in all competitions. He has two goals to his name as well, both of which were spectacular individual efforts.
His play of late has put him back in the Canadian men’s national team picture as well, as he was called up recently for June’s Canadian Shield matches against Ukraine and Côte d’Ivoire.
GOAL 🏔️🏔️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 25, 2025
SEBASTIAN BERHALTER MAKES IT 2-0 FOR THE WHITECAPS OVER INTER MIAMI 🥶
🔴 Watch #VWFC vs. Inter Miami in #ConcaChampions SF LEG 1 on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/0Wek9JN16t
Ralph Priso
It has been a resurgent season for the 22-year-old midfielder. After starting just seven matches in all competitions last season, he has already made nine in 2025.
That includes three in the Concacaf Champions Cup, interestingly starting each of their three home legs in the first three rounds. He has played a part in seven of their eight matches this season.
However, it is worth noting that Sørensen has deployed Priso less frequently on the road this competition, where he has played just 43 minutes off the bench between three matches, and he did not come off the bench against Inter Miami.
Still, he has been trusted in some key late-game situations during this competition and has evolved into an incredibly reliable midfielder. A player who rarely loses possession with a lot of intelligent passes, he is also adept at winning the ball back in key midfield situations with excellent reading of the play.
Especially given key Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter misses out on Sunday’s match through suspension, Priso could be relied upon to either start or play significant minutes.
