Canada women’s soccer team roster: players, profiles, stars

The upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is set to be a groundbreaking event for women’s soccer. Australia and New Zealand have been chosen as co-hosts, making it the first time in the tournament’s history that it will be held in multiple countries.

Since its establishment by FIFA in 1991, the Women’s World Cup has grown to become the pinnacle of women’s soccer competitions. As the ninth edition approaches, it’s important to note that only four nations — the United States, Germany, Japan, and Norway — have achieved victory in this esteemed quadrennial tournament. The event brings together 32 teams from around the world, showcasing the global talent and passion for women’s football.

As part of AS USA’s collaboration with the Guardian, we bring you the player profiles of each of the Canada women’s national team members. Written by Benedict Rhodes for Canadian Premier League, these profiles include everything about these players, from their positions to their clubs and accomplishments.

You can also check out the full in-depth team team guide for the Canada side.

Goalkeepers

Name: Kailen Sheridan

Date of birth: July 16, 1995

Club: San Diego Wave

The latest in a long line of world-class Canadian goalkeepers, Sheridan is finally being rewarded after years of patiently waiting for her opportunity to be No 1. Named the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022, Sheridan will be entering a major tournament as Canada’s starter for the first time. Wanted to play outfield before her dad pushed her in the direction of being in goal. “It takes a certain type of personality to be a goalkeeper, not everyone can do it,” she once told SBNation. “I ended up falling in love with it over time. I loved shot stopping, diving around, being fearless.”

Name: Sabrina D’Angelo

Date of birth: May 11, 1993

Club: Arsenal

The biggest challenger to Kailen Sheridan’s spot as No 1, the Arsenal goalkeeper was named the 2012 Canadian Under-20 Female Player of the Year and was part of Canada’s Olympic bronze medal-winning team in 2016. She has always been stuck behind other goalkeepers with the senior national team, making 13 appearances since her debut seven years ago, but recently reminded everyone that she is a legitimate option for club and country. D’Angelo is comfortable with the ball at her feet and, while battling a wrist injury in college, played two games as an outfield player for the NCAA’s South Carolina Gamecocks.

Name: Lysianne Proulx

Date of birth: April 17, 1999

Club: SCU Torreense

Although yet to make her senior international debut at the time of writing, Lysianne Proulx has established herself as Bev Priestman’s third-choice goalkeeper over the past year. Proulx, who plays for Torreense in Portugal, has been named in Canada’s squad for every camp dating back to June 2022, and gained a lot of experience being around world class players as a result after a youth national team career that included a pair of medals (one gold) in Concacaf tournaments. Growing up, a favourite player was the Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Name: Anna Karpenko

Date of birth: April 10, 2002

Club: Harvard University Crimson

One of Canada’s top prospects between the posts, Karpenko looked up to recently retired Canadian goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé. After keeping clean sheets in all three of Canada’s group stage matches at the Under-17 Women’s World Cup in 2018, her teammate Jordyn Huitema said that “Anna has every skill that’s needed to be a world-class goalkeeper.” Now playing university football while studying at Harvard University, Karpenko will be looking to continue her upwards trajectory into the professional ranks in the coming years.

Defenders

Name: Kadeisha Buchanan

Date of birth: November 5, 1995

Club: Chelsea

One of the top centre-backs in the world, Buchanan is crucial to Bev Priestman’s team. Still just 27, Buchanan already has a resumé that includes six league titles with Lyon and Chelsea, and five Women’s Champions Leagues. She also has a knack for winning individual awards, including three Canadian Player of the Year prizes (2015, 2017 and 2020) and the Women’s World Cup Best Young Player award on home soil in 2015. Raised in the hotbed of footballing talent that is Brampton, Ontario (where there is a pitch named after her), Buchanan grew up playing with fellow Canadian international Ashley Lawrence. She credits Emma Hayes for pushing through the transfer from Lyon to Chelsea and told the Evening Standard: “I always watched English football with my father growing up. I never imagined playing for Chelsea or another team because I always just saw the men play, I didn’t even know they had a women’s team.”

Name: Zoe Burns

Date of birth: January 5, 2002

Club: University of Southern California Trojans

Born in the United States to Canadian parents, Burns is a part of the next generation working their way into the national team. Burns was inspired in part by attending the 2015 Women’s World Cup, watching some of the world’s best players on the same pitch she would make her senior international debut on in 2022, at BC Place in Vancouver. Able to play at full-back or in midfield, Burns was a standout at the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Under-20 Championship, her first tournament since switching allegiance from the United States, where she scored in the third-place playoff and was named in the tournament’s Best XI.

Name: Gabrielle Carle

Date of birth: October 12, 1998

Club: Washington Spirit

Had a fantastic university career with the NCAA’s Florida State University Seminoles, winning two national championships in a four-year stint at the school. After being on the standby list for Canada at the 2016 Summer Olympics, narrowly missing out on the opportunity to pick up an Olympic bronze medal, Carle was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning squad at Tokyo 2020. Her experiences at youth level for Canada, which include playing every minute at the 2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup and captaining the side at the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship, have helped her develop into a reliable option for the senior team.

Name: Allysha Chapman

Date of birth: January 25, 1989

Club: Houston Dash

Since making her debut for the national team at age 25 in 2014, the veteran has become a regular at left-back. Standing at 1.60m, what Chapman lacks in height she makes up for in heart. She’s a tenacious defender that loves bombing up and down the wings, and never shies away from a physical challenge. At both the 2015 Women’s World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Chapman played through injuries – showing her commitment to the cause and an all-or-nothing approach. She also showed her lighter side at the 2016 Games, setting up a pretend fight with teammate Melissa Tancredi as a prank on the coach John Herdman’s birthday. As a worried Herdman approached the players they turned around and placed a cake in his face.

Name: Sydney Collins

Date of birth: September 8, 1999

Club: North Carolina Courage

After being selected eighth overall by the North Carolina Courage in the 2023 NWSL draft and subsequently beginning her professional career after four years with the University of California Golden Bears, Collins made her senior international debut in a friendly against France in April. Despite representing the United States at youth level, Collins switched allegiance to Canada, making her debut after previously being a training player at the 2023 SheBelieves Cup but not featuring in the tournament. Her father Brett played for several seasons in the NFL and Canadian Football League, while her mother Susan played professional volleyball in Canada.

Name: Vanessa Gilles

Date of birth: March 11, 1996

Club: Lyon

Gilles, nicknamed “the Magnet” for her ability to stick to opposing players, has become a regular since the appointment of Bev Priestman, taking her opportunity and running with it. Originally a competitive tennis player before switching to football as a teenager – first as a goalkeeper, then as a defender – Gilles has established herself as a world-class aerial presence and a shutdown defender capable of raising her level in big moments. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she came away from the tournament with two titles – a gold medal and the winner of the Canadian team’s fierce Mario Kart competition during the Games. There is a park in Ottawa named after her.

Name: Ashley Lawrence

Date of birth: June 11, 1995

Club: Chelsea

Lawrence may be Canada’s most versatile player, possessing a world-class ability at both full-back positions, on either wing, or in central midfield, but is most often used at full-back with the national team. Her speed and comfort on the ball make her a difference-maker for Canada both in attack and defence. Lawrence was described by former Canada head coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller as “a fantastic, positive individual with great character and someone who looks at ways to improve her game all the time” after she was named 2019 Canadian Player of the Year. Grew up playing with Kadeisha Buchanan, with whom she co-captained the team at West Virginia University, and has a pitch in their home town of Brampton, Ontario named after her.

Name: Jayde Riviere

Date of birth: January 22, 2001

Club: Manchester United

A highly-sought after player after a strong university career with the University of Michigan Wolverines, Riviere signed her first professional contract a day before her 22nd birthday in January, joining Women’s Super League side Manchester United, the club her father supports. The speedy right-back made her senior international debut at 16 in 2017, and over the last few years has taken leaps and bounds to become one of the leading young talents in the world. Riviere should be one of the first names on the teamsheet for Canada for years to come. August 6 is officially “Jayde Riviere Day’' in her home town of Markham, Ontario, to honour the day of Canada’s Olympic gold medal win.

Name: Jade Rose

Date of birth: February 12, 2003

Club: Harvard University Crimson

Despite being one of the younger players in the Canadian setup, do not let Rose’s relative inexperience fool you: she has already shown signs of being a potential cornerstone of the national team for years to come. After looking up to Christine Sinclair and Kadeisha Buchanan growing up, Rose has had the opportunity to share the field with both now on several occasions. In a September 2022 friendly against Australia, Rose received widespread praise for her performance after shutting down the great Sam Kerr and setting up the winning goal. Comfortable on the ball and physically strong, Rose is able to play at centre-back or right-back, and was named Canada Soccer’s female Young Player of the Year in both 2020 and 2021.

Name: Bianca St-Georges

Date of birth: July 28, 1997

Club: Chicago Red Stars

An attacking right-back who plays as if she has a chip on her shoulder – and understandably so. St-Georges hasn’t had an easy road to the Canadian national team. She has battled with a pair of meniscus tears since going pro in 2019 – to her right knee in early 2019 that saw her rookie season in the NWSL pushed back to 2020, and in her left knee in her first senior national team camp in February 2021, just a few months before Canada’s gold medal-winning Olympic squad was announced. She loves to get up the pitch and contribute in attacking areas and is capable of whipping crosses into the box or taking on players herself.

Name: Shelina Zadorsky

Date of birth: October 24, 1992

Club: Tottenham

A veteran presence at the back for Canada, bringing leadership wherever she goes, Zadorsky was named captain of Women’s Super League side Tottenham during the 2021–22 season. Left-footed centre-backs who are comfortable on the ball are a valuable asset to any team, and Zadorsky has regularly started for Canada in recent years thanks to her consistent performances. In April, Zadorsky candidly revealed that she had been struggling with her physical and mental health after a sequence of diagnoses that saw her miss several months with “every sick symptom you can name”. She has since returned to the pitch, and played an important role in Tottenham’s successful battle against relegation.

Midfielders

Name: Simi Awujo

Date of birth: September 23, 2003

Club: University of Southern California Trojans

While it may have gone a bit under the radar at the time, the young midfielder switching allegiances from the United States to Canada in 2022 has proven to be quite the coup. Born in the US to Nigerian parents, Awujo was eligible for Canada through her mother’s Canadian citizenship, and joined the national team setup in 2022 after previously representing the USWNT. She impressed for Canada’s Under-20s at the Concacaf U20 Women’s Championship and U-20 Women’s World Cup, earning an opportunity with the senior team for friendlies against World Cup hosts Australia in September. After standing out thanks to her eye for a pass and versatility, she was named Canada’s 2022 Young Player of the Year.

Name: Jessie Fleming

Date of birth: March 11, 1998

Club: Chelsea

Perhaps Canada’s most important player, Fleming is the back-to-back reigning Canada Soccer Player of the Year and a player who raises her level for the big occasions. It was four penalties from Fleming that helped Canada win the Olympic gold medal in 2021 – including the goal that saw Canada beat the United States for the first time in two decades in the semi-final, and a second-half penalty in the gold medal game against Sweden to send the match into extra time. When Christine Sinclair is not on the pitch, it is often Fleming who takes the captain’s armband – not because she is the most vocal leader, but because she leads by example and lets her football do the talking.

Name: Julia Grosso

Date of birth: August 29, 2000

Club: Juventus

The scorer of perhaps the most important goal in the history of Canadian football – a penalty that won the Olympic gold medal. One of the first-choice midfielders for both Canada and her club Juventus, Grosso usually operates in a No 8 role to get involved in the attack as well as provide some defensive coverage. In recent times Bev Priestman has challenged Grosso to play with more confidence and use her obvious talent to create more goals from open play for Canada. She is close friends with forward Jordyn Huitema, and the two played together growing up in British Columbia. Participating in an Italian cliche true-or-false quiz she was asked if Italians were superstitious. “Oh my God,” she answered, “that is the most true of all the questions, surely?”

Name: Quinn

Date of birth: August 11, 1995

Club: OL Reign

At Tokyo 2020, Quinn became the first out transgender, non-binary athlete to compete at the Olympic Games, and also to become an Olympic champion. One of the best passers of the ball in the Canadian squad, Quinn possesses an ability to spray the ball around the pitch and is a steady defensive presence in midfield. Although also able to play centre-back, Quinn usually plays in the middle of the park. They are a tireless box-to-box runner, not afraid to get stuck in defensively either. Growing up, one of Quinn’s favourite players was the Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard, and while they do not score at the same rate he did, their quality in midfield is clear to see.

Name: Sophie Schmidt

Date of birth: June 28, 1988

Club: Houston Dash

One of just three Canadians with over 200 international caps, Schmidt has been a stalwart for Canada since making her debut as a 16-year-old in 2005. A well-respected veteran in the squad, Schmidt has announced that she will retire from international football after the World Cup, bringing to an end a career that includes three Olympic medals. A hard-working, technically strong midfielder who is the pinnacle of consistency, Schmidt played 76 consecutive matches for Canada between 2011 and 2015.

Name: Desiree Scott

Date of birth: July 31, 1987

Club: Kansas City Current

Nicknamed “The Destroyer”, Scott is a physical, no-nonsense central midfielder. One of the more experienced players in the Canadian squad, her teammates feed off her energy, leadership and infectious passion for the sport. “What I’ve told some of the young ones is: enjoy every moment you have wearing that Canada crest on your chest, and don’t take it for granted,” Scott said in 2021.

Name: Christine Sinclair

Date of birth: June 12, 1983

Club: Portland Thorns

Simply put, Sinclair is one of the greatest footballers ever – the record-holder for the most international goals, and one of just four players to make over 300 international appearances. Canada’s soft-spoken captain isn’t someone who wants to be the centre of attention, but scoring at four Olympics and five World Cups tends to bring with it, as it should, praise of the highest degree. Hers is a name that transcends sport in Canada – instantly recognisable, and a symbol of unequivocal greatness. Sinclair has been named Canada Soccer Player of the Year 14 times, including 11 times consecutively from 2004 to 2014. “Our goal was to change the colour of the medal and we landed on the top of the podium, which isn’t bad,” Sinclair said of winning Olympic gold, reserved as ever.

Name: Olivia Smith

Date of Birth: August 5, 2004

Club: Penn State Nittany Lions

Olivia Smith wasn’t on Canada’s preliminary roster for this tournament, but as one of the country’s top prospects, she was invited to travel Down Under and train with the team. With a few injuries in the team forcing Bev Priestman to shuffle her cards a bit, she gave the nod to the 18-year-old rising star. Smith holds the record for the youngest player to make her debut for the senior national team, doing so at 15 years and 94 days back in 2019, and is second to only Christine Sinclair in terms of Canadian youth national team goals.

Forwards

Name: Amanda Allen

Date of birth: February 21, 2005

Club: Orlando Pride

Forgoing her eligibility to play football at the university level in the US, the 18-year-old forward signed her first professional contract in April with Orlando Pride of the NWSL. Growing up, Allen looked up to Neymar and Usain Bolt among other athletes, fitting as her pace and directness on the ball are two of her standout qualities. After impressing at the Under-17 World Cup in 2022, Allen made her senior international debut in November against Brazil. Bev Priestman has compared Allen to Canadian star Janine Beckie, who will miss the World Cup through injury, saying that Allen “has an engine and a similar profile”.

Name: Jordyn Huitema

Date of birth: May 8, 2001

Club: OL Reign

Labelled by some as the likely successor to her idol Christine Sinclair after her impressive performances and scoring rates for the youth national teams, Huitema has had some lofty expectations placed on her since before she made her debut as a 15-year-old in 2017. While Sinclair’s boots are huge ones to fill, Huitema has been making a name for herself for club and country in recent years after choosing to forgo the university route and jump straight into the professional game with Paris St-Germain, before moving to OL Reign in the NWSL. When Huitema scores for Canada, she tends to score in bunches – she netted her first two international goals in the same game in 2017 against Costa Rica, four times in one game in 2018 against Cuba, and five times in a 2020 Olympic qualifier against Jamaica.

Name: Cloé Lacasse

Date of birth: July 7, 1993

Club: Benfica

Despite scoring goals for fun at the University of Iowa, and then in Iceland and Portugal as she progressed up the ladder in the professional ranks, it was not until 27 November 2021 that the then-28-year-old Lacasse made her international debut at any level in the Canadian setup. She has since established herself as an important part of Bev Priestman’s squad, either from the start or as a substitute, thanks to her finishing ability and work ethic. This past season with Benfica, Lacassse starred on the way to a league and cup double, and was named the league’s player of the year. She also has a black belt in taekwondo, and made the national team in that sport at age 12 before putting all of her efforts into football.

Name: Clarissa Larisey

Date of birth: July 2, 1999

Club: Häcken

There may not be another player in the Canada squad quite as good as Larisey at getting in behind defenders and creating chances from open play. Larisey is still new to the national team, only making her debut in September 2022, but after scoring nearly a goal a game for Celtic and earning a move to Häcken in Sweden, she could become a crucial part of the national team – able to play across the frontline and use her pace to make darting runs. Larisey comes from a footballing family, with her cousin Tony Mikhael previously playing in the Canadian Premier League and for the Lebanon youth national teams.

Name: Adriana Leon

Date of birth: October 2, 1992

Club: Portland Thorns (on loan from Manchester United)

Leon plays with her heart on her sleeve. A strong finisher who is not afraid to put her body on the line to get physical with opponents, Leon is able to play as a striker or on either wing. A question around this Canadian team has been whether or not Leon is best used off the bench, as while she is also effective from the start, bringing on a physical player with speed to burn is a nightmare for tiring defenders. She will also be playing with a point to prove after a season in which she did not get the playing time she feels she deserved at Manchester United, featuring for an extremely limited amount of minutes before an April loan to the Portland Thorns.

Name: Nichelle Prince

Date of birth: February 19, 1995

Club: Houston Dash

At her first Women’s World Cup in 2019, Prince tore her meniscus, an injury that forced her to miss a large chunk of that year’s NWSL season. After recovering, Prince came back and spent the next few years as a regular for club and country – a pacy forward good in one-v-one situations – with an Olympic gold medal to show for her efforts. In November 2022, however, late in Canada’s last match of the year, Prince got injured again – rupturing her achilles. It took months of hard work to get herself back in time for the World Cup, and now she has been rewarded with another crack at the sport’s premier event.

Name: Deanne Rose

Date of birth: March 3, 1999

Club: Reading

Deanne Rose is a player for the big moments. At 17 years and 169 days old, Rose set the record for the youngest female goalscorer at the Olympic Games. It was no small feat either, Rose’s strike was the opening goal in the bronze medal game at the 2016 Games, a match Canada won 2-1 to reach the podium for the second time in a row. Five years later in Tokyo, needing to score to keep the game alive, Rose netted Canada’s fifth penalty in the gold medal match, sending it to sudden death. Ruptured her achilles in her first match of the 2022-23 Women’s Super League season with Reading.

Name: Evelyne Viens

Date of birth: February 6, 1997

Club: Kristianstad (on loan from NJ/NY Gotham FC)

A pure finisher who often knows where to be at the right time, Viens is an emerging star in the Canadian national team. After scoring a remarkable 73 goals in 77 matches at the University of South Florida, Viens never really stopped finding the back of the net. She has scored at a similar pace nearly everywhere she has played, including in two of the top leagues in the world – the Division 1 Féminine in France with Paris FC, and the Swedish Damallsvenskan with Kristianstad. With the starting job up top up for grabs, Viens is a contender to play a big role at the World Cup. If she gets an opportunity and takes it, she may never look back.