Soccer in Canada | Canada Hosting the 2026 World Cup

[elly63]

[elly63]

Inter-Villarreal Agreement for the Transfer of Buchanan (Translated)
Villarreal will pay 8 million Euros and the player will sign for five years. AS advanced the yellow interest in the end.
Javier Mata as.com/futbol July 25 2025

Tajon Buchanan will remain in Villarreal. The 26-year-old Canadian footballer will sign for the yellow team in exchange for 8 million euros for the next five seasons. The agreement between the clubs is closed in the absence of formalities and the official announcement in the coming days. AS already told the Submarine's interest in the continuity of the footballer on May 31. A wish that will be fulfilled.

Baena's departure to Atlético de Madrid has triggered the band change of Yeremy Pino. Marcelino values the movements of the canary on the left side more than in the right side. Thus, Buchanan is widened the doors of the right end, a position in which he will compete with Ilias Akomach.

Buchanan's return, in ownership, guarantees the continuity of a footballer who knows the league after having played 13 games adding a goal and two assists. The good taste of mouth in its performance has been key for the entity of La Cerámica to launch to close its incorporation.

[elly63]

Ismaël Koné risks leaving Marseille
Ismaël Koné's Marseille adventure is likely coming to an end.
Eric Martel La Presse July 21 2025

His agent, Nick Mavromaras, said he hopes his client will be loaned out or transferred to another team. "I hope it's just a matter of time," he told TSN. Roma, in Serie A, is reportedly interested in acquiring him, according to the network.

Last summer, Koné was transferred from Watford to Marseille for a whopping 18 million euros. Since then, the Montrealer has struggled to thrive in the powder blue uniform.

Ankle injuries initially sidelined him. Then, his relationship with coach Roberto Di Zerbi publicly soured after the latter criticized the young player's professionalism.

Things have since gone downhill. During a mid-July training session, Koné appeared ready to come to blows with his coach, before other members of the squad began to assert themselves. Koné remains at Marseille's summer training camp. However, he has been kept away from the main squad, along with five other players.

After arriving in Marseille in August 2024, Ismaël Koné played 9 matches, including only one start.

In January, the organization loaned him to Stade Rennais. Koné played 13 matches with the team, including four as a starter and nine as a substitute. He scored two goals and provided one assist.

"In recent months, he hasn't shown me that he's capable of being part of this project. There's a lot of competition ahead of him," commented Roberto Di Zerbi, shortly before the loan.

Ismaël Koné's value remains at €9 million, or CAD 14.4 million, according to Transfermarkt . His current contract expires in June 2029.

[elly63]

Nice rumour going around about Mallorca's Cyle Larin being looked at by Valencia

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

If all the rumours came to fruition Serie A is the place to be for Canadians.
J David - Juventus (Signed)
Buchanan - Sassuolo (Negotiating) Signing with Villareal
Sigur - Atalanta (Rumour)
Kone - AS Roma (Rumour)

Tajon Buchanan may not be joining Serie A's Sassuolo but it looks like Ismael Kone is.

Details of the full agreement between OM and Sassuolo for Ismaël Koné

Paying loan of 2.5m Euros + mandatory purchase option of 10M Euros if they stay in Serie A + % on resale for Marseille.

Koné is traveling today to have his medical examination

[elly63]

I don't recall a bigger off season (so far) for transfers of Canadian players to higher leagues and teams.

Brym, Charles-Andreas / Almere City FC - NAC Breda
Buchanan, Tajon / Inter Milan - Villarreal​
Choinière, Mathieu / Grasshopper Club Zurich - LAFC
David, Jonathan / LOSC Lille - Juventus
Jebbison, Daniel / Bournemouth FC ​- Preston North End
Koné, Ismaël / Stade Rennais FC (on loan from Olympique de Marseille) - Sassuolo
Saliba, Nathan / CF Montréal - Anderlecht
Goodman, Owen / Crystal Palace - on loan to Huddersfield Town
Zator, Dominick / Korona Kielce - Arka Gdynia
Luc de Fougerolles / Fulham - on loan to Dender EH

Larin, Cyle / RCD Mallorca - Rumour Valencia (May be off)
Sigur, Niko / HNK Hajduk Split - Rumour for a move
Sirois, Jonathan / CF Montréal - Rumour Montpellier (May be off)

Now there are rumours of Marseilles' Derek Cornelius getting loaned to Serie A's Genoa, Bologna or RC Lens in France

[elly63]

[elly63]

Nathan Saliba scores on his debut for Anderlecht and speaking of Belgium 19 year old Luc de Fougerolles who has recently re-signed with Fulham may be getting a loan to Belgium (possibly Dender EH in the top division).

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

Luc de Fougerolles who has recently re-signed with Fulham may be getting a loan to Belgium (possibly Dender EH in the top division).

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

19 year old Luc de Fougerolles who has recently re-signed with Fulham may be getting a loan to Belgium (possibly Dender EH in the top division).

It's official, de Fougerolles one year loan to Dender EH

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

Nice rumour going around about Mallorca's Cyle Larin being looked at by Valencia

This seems to be heating up, hopefully it happens and he leaves where he isn't wanted to go where he is wanted.

[elly63]

• Video Link

[elly63]

Originally Posted by elly63

This seems to be heating up, hopefully it happens and he leaves where he isn't wanted to go where he is wanted.

Add Turkey's Trabzonspor (with Cyle Larin's former coach at Besiktas) to the Cyle Larin list. Spain's Valencia and Celta Vigo are also interested in the Mallorca forward.

[elly63]

I have combined our recent Nation's League, Canadian Shield and Gold Cup teams to come up with the likely list of 32 players, 23 or 26 of which will represent Canada at the World Cup.

I don't see it likely that anyone outside that list will burst upon the scene. It's possible but I think it would have to be a mega player or breakout star. I will include our last 60 man Gold Cup roster that might show any players who might break into the final list.

32 Players

Goalkeepers
Maxime Crépeau - Portland Timbers
Tom McGill - Brighton & Hove Albion
James Pantemis - Portland Timbers
Jonathan Sirois - CF Montreal
Dayne St. Clair - Minnesota United FC

Defenders
Sam Adekugbe - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Zorhan Bassong - Sporting Kansas City
Moïse Bombito - OGC Nice
Derek Cornelius - Olympique de Marseille
Alphonso Davies - Bayern Munich
Luc de Fougerolles - Fulham FC (on loan to Dender EH)
Alistair Johnston - Celtic FC
Jamie Knight-Lebel - Crewe Alexandra (on loan Bristol City)
Richie Laryea - Toronto FC
Kamal Miller - Portland Timbers
Joel Waterman - CF Montréal

Midfielders
Ali Ahmed - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Tajon Buchanan - Villarreal CF
Mathieu Choinière - LAFC
Stephen Eustáquio - FC Porto
Ismaël Koné - Saasuolo
Liam Millar - Hull City
Jayden Nelson - Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Jonathan Osorio - Toronto FC
Nathan Saliba - Anderlecht
Jacob Shaffelburg - Nashville SC
Niko Sigur - Hadjuk Split

Forwards
Jonathan David - Juventus
Promise David - Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
Daniel Jebbison - Preston North End
Cyle Larin - RCD Mallorca
Tani Oluwaseyi - Minnesota United FC

Who gets the chop?

[AuxTown]

Those of you who are keen to see a world cup game next year (particularly featuring Canada) you should probably:

- Consider registering for one of the paid tiers of the CanadaRed program which will give you an opportunity for tickets through Canada Soccer
- Register your interest through FIFA for the lottery September 10th
- Book a hotel....I just booked one in Toronto and the city looks slammed already!
- Pray

[elly63]

Southampton has recently gathered information about Jonathan Sirois, showing their attentiveness to goalkeeping options and considering Sirois as a potential target with long-term potential.

Despite his contract with CF Montreal running until December 2026, there is a significant possibility of a transfer before the current window closes.

Jonathan Sirois, a 24-year-old Canadian goalkeeper with nearly 100 MLS appearances, is drawing interest not only from Southampton but also from Cardiff City and several French clubs such as Montpellier.

With both Canadian and French citizenship, Sirois's EU passport makes a move to Europe more feasible.

As he aims to leave his mark in the 2026 World Cup, the present transfer window offers him a chance to progress his career in Europe, although discussions are still in their initial stages. His growing reputation positions him as an attractive candidate for a move abroad.

[elly63]

Just putting two and two together and am wondering it Canada's set piece coach Nicolas Gagnon linked Sirois with Southampton. He was the former set piece coach there and before that was with CF Montreal.

[elly63]

Some not very serious (yet) rumours of Alistair Johnston to Crystal Palace and Niko Sigur to Celtic. Sigur is more likely to make a move this summer than Johnston who will likely put in another year at Celtic.

[logan5]

Don’t follow euro football, but I’m guessing Canada hasn’t had anywhere near this many players playing in top leagues before.

[elly63]

Originally Posted by logan5

Don’t follow euro football, but I’m guessing Canada hasn’t had anywhere near this many players playing in top leagues before.

We've had players in the EPL: Forrest, Yallop, Stalteri, Radzinski and the Bundesliga: Friend, Occean, McKenna and La Liga: DeGuzman.

Those are some of the names I can recall, probably forgetting a few but we've had good players in the past. Where we lacked was the depth to compete for NT spots, commitment to the team (for various reasons) and a lack of money and resources.

Many of the snobs derided the hiring of John Herdman because he was a "women's coach" but I said this guy is going to solve the little issues and will bring the resources to move us ahead, which he did.

I think had the teams of the past (some of which had most of these guys in the lineup) had the resources they do now, we would have fared far better.