Canada Soccer has revealed the shortlisted candidates for the Player of the Year awards, narrowing down the initial eight nominees to three men and three women. Among the women, the finalists include Vanessa Gilles from Bayern Munich, Adriana Leon from San Diego, and Jayde Riviere from Manchester United. On the men’s side, the finalists are Ali Ahmed from Vancouver, Tajon Buchanan from Villarreal, and Jonathan David from Juventus.
The winners of the award will be decided through a vote by Canadian sports media and coaches. The men’s and women’s nominees were selected by their respective national team coaching staff. The winners, who will be announced on Friday, will be recognized as co-winners.
Additionally, the winners of the young player, Para, and futsal player of the year awards are determined by coaches from their respective programs. The Allstate Good Hands Award, which acknowledges the top save by a Canadian national team goalkeeper in international matches, is decided by a fan vote.
Notably, Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies have dominated the Player of the Year award in recent years, with Davies winning four times and David twice. Stephen Eustaquio claimed the award in 2023. Davies, who recently returned to action with Bayern Munich after a lengthy absence due to a knee injury, is not in the running this year. Similarly, women’s captain Jessie Fleming, a multiple-time winner of the award, is also not nominated.
The past winners of the Canada Soccer Player of the Year award include notable names like Christine Sinclair, Atiba Hutchinson, and Alphonso Davies.