To celebrate Canada Day, we're looking back at some of the best Canadian talent we've seen in the Canadian Premier League.
The Canadian Premier League was established to foster and develop Canadian talent from coast to coast, and we've seen hundreds of domestic players take the pitch in the league's seven seasons.
Some of them, however, have stood out above all.
To mark Canada Day this year, we're asking fans to help us build an all-time best XI of Canadian players in the CPL. These players must be eligible to play for Canada internationally, and judgement is based on their time spent in the CPL.
We've chosen a few players in each position, and it's up to you to narrow it down.
Is there somebody missing you would include? Let us know on social media, @CPLsoccer on all platforms.
Click here to have your say and vote for your All-time Canadian Starting XI in the CPL! Make your picks, and enter to win a CPL prize pack — including a jersey of your choice!
Goalkeepers
Marco Carducci (Cavalry FC)
Cavalry's keeper since day one, Carducci has been named Goalkeeper of the Year twice, and backstopped the Cavs to a North Star Cup in 2024.
Triston Henry (Forge FC)
Henry was a star between the sticks for Forge from 2019 to 2023, and he won the Goalkeeper of the Year award twice. He also started five consecutive CPL Finals, winning four of them.
Nathan Ingham (Atlético Ottawa, York United)
Ingham is another CPL original, who has become a face of the club in Ottawa. He has been consistently one of the CPL's top shot-stoppers every single season.
Callum Irving (Vancouver FC, Pacific FC)
Vancouver FC's first-ever signing and captain, Irving was a nominee for Goalkeeper of the Year last season. He was in goal when Pacific won the CPL championship back in 2021, keeping a clean sheet in the final against Forge.
Jonathan Sirois (Valour FC)
Sirois had an impressive couple of seasons at Valour, which primed him to become the CF Montréal starter and a regular part of the Canadian national team. He won the CPL's Golden Glove award in 2021.
Triston Henry in action for Forge FC.
Centre-Backs
Amer Didić (Atlético Ottawa, Pacific FC, FC Edmonton)
Everywhere he goes, Didić is an immovable object at the back. He can win an aerial duel against pretty much anybody, and pick out a pass to anywhere on the pitch. Didić was a star for both Edmonton and Pacific, and now he's a standout in Ottawa.
David Edgar (Forge FC)
The CanMNT legend had a short but sweet tenure as a CPL player, arriving midway through 2019 to help Forge win their first championship. He stuck around in 2020 to win another one at the Island Games, before going on to win two more with Forge as an assistant coach.
Lukas MacNaughton (Pacific FC)
Now plying his trade in MLS with D.C. United, MacNaughton helped Pacific win their first title in 2021. He was a surprise standout in 2019 having joined the Tridents from the University of Toronto, but he's one of the most successful players to move on from the CPL.
Thomas Meilleur-Giguère (Halifax Wanderers, Pacific FC)
Meilleur-Giguère is playing MVP-calibre football for the Wanderers right now, but the bulk of his CPL career to date has been in Pacific's backline, where he and MacNaughton were instrumental in the clean-sheet victory in the Final.
Joel Waterman (Cavalry FC)
Often seen wearing the captain's armband for CF Montréal, or else starting for the Canadian men's national team, Waterman was a massive part of the dominant Cavalry FC team in 2019. He came to the club via the CPL-U SPORTS Draft, and very quickly found his way to MLS after helping the Cavs top the table in their first year.
Dominick Zator (York United, Cavalry FC)
Another successful former Cav, Zator spent two years in Calgary before playing two more at York United. He then moved to play top-flight football with Korona Kielce in Poland. Zator developed a reputation in the CPL for being one of the league's most composed, reliable centre-backs, though he can slot in on the right of defence as well.
Dominick Zator (L) and Joel Waterman (R) walk out ahead of the 2019 CPL Final Leg 1
Full-Backs
Kwame Awuah (Forge FC)
Awuah won two CPL titles with Forge in three years at the club, and was constantly one of the league's best left-backs. He had a knack for defending against pacey wingers, but he could join the attack effectively and win battles along the touchline.
Kadin Chung (Pacific FC, Vancouver FC)
Chung is back on Vancouver Island this year after a stint in Vancouver, which followed a brief period playing in MLS with Toronto FC. The right-back was part of Pacific's title-winning 2021 team, and remains one of the CPL's best tacklers and duel-winners.
Kunle Dada-Luke (Vancouver FC, Pacific FC, Atlético Ottawa)
Dada-Luke is an exhilarating full-back to watch, with his ability to take on defenders and help move the ball up the touchline. He's also got some bite to his game defensively, which has made him so important to the teams he's played for.
Matteo de Brienne (Atlético Ottawa, Valour FC)
Now playing for GAIS in Sweden, De Brienne was an incredibly talented left-back for both Valour and Atlético Ottawa. In 2023 he was named the CPL's Best U-21 Canadian, then moved to his hometown Atlético for another standout year before earning his move to Europe.
Ashtone Morgan (Forge FC)
A CanMNT legend who spent the final two years of his career at Forge, Morgan won a CPL championship in 2022, and although he retired midway through 2023, he was still a key member of the side that went on to win again in 2023.
Maxim Tissot (Atlético Ottawa, Forge FC)
Tissot played multiple positions for both Forge and Ottawa, but he was most memorable for his time on the left flank. He spent two years at Forge and three years with Atlético winning a championship in 2020 and a regular season title in 2022.
Matteo de Brienne playing for Valour FC.
Midfielders
Manny Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa, Pacific FC, York United)
It's easy to forget that Aparicio, now a star for Atlético Ottawa, was the first ever captain for York United (then York9) back in 2019. Born in Buenos Aires, Aparicio has played for Canada internationally. In the CPL, he's famous for his incredible workrate and ability to cover every area of the pitch, as well as his knack for a creative pass or a long-distance finish.
Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
The only captain in Forge FC's history, Bekker has been present for almost every moment of the Hamilton club's five CPL championships over seven years. He has played almost 200 games for the club, and at the age of 34 he remains one of the most effective midfielders in the league.
Tristan Borges (Forge FC)
Borges has long been one of the CPL's most dangerous attacking players, even as his role and position have evolved over the years. He won the CPL's inaugural Golden Boot and Player of the Year awards, then claimed another Player of the Year title in 2024. Borges has 33 goals and 36 assists in his career with Forge, and he's the CPL's all-time assists leader.
Sergio Camargo (Cavalry FC)
Another CPL original, Camargo has been crucial to Cavalry's attack throughout his seven years with the club. That finally culminated in 2024 when he scored the opening goal in the CPL Final to secure the club's first ever North Star Cup.
Alessandro Hojabrpour (Forge FC, Pacific FC)
Hojabrpour was the CPL's Best U-21 Canadian in 2021 after scoring in the CPL Final to win the title for Pacific, and then he made waves the following off-season by moving to Forge. He would go on to score another championship-winning goal in the 2022 CPL Final, and in 2024 he was a nominee for Player of the Year.
Victor Loturi (Cavalry FC)
Loturi first arrived at Cavalry as a 17-year-old, before returning to the club in 2021 via the U SPORTS Draft. He was outstanding in 2021 and 2022 for the Cavs, which earned him a high-profile move to Scottish Premiership side Ross County. He now plays in MLS with CF Montréal, and has had multiple CanMNT call-ups.
Sean Rea (Halifax Wanderers, Valour FC)
Rea is starring this year for the Wanderers, in an attacking midfield role that's a bit different from what he used to do at Valour. In his two years in Winnipeg (on loan from CF Montréal), Rea was a dynamic winger who set a CPL record for assists in a season with nine in 2022 -- which helped him win the Best U-21 Canadian award.
Manny Aparicio during a match for Atlético Ottawa.
Attackers
Marco Bustos (Pacific FC, Valour FC)
The Winnipeg native is one of the CPL's most creative players ever, and continues to be this year at Pacific. He was a superstar for the club from 2020 to 2022 before spending a couple of years in Sweden's top division with Värnamo. Bustos' introduction to the CPL, however, was in the league's inaugural campaign when he represented his hometown Valour.
Terran Campbell (Vancouver FC, Forge FC, Pacific FC)
The CPL's joint-top goalscorer of all time with 38 regular season goals, Campbell has put the ball in the net for three different clubs. He won the 2021 CPL title with Pacific, before moving to Forge and winning two more. Now, he's heading up the attack for Vancouver.
David Choinière (Forge FC)
Perhaps the most clutch player in CPL history, Choinière always seems to deliver in big moments for Forge. He has scored two goals in CPL Finals -- not to mention five big ones for Forge in Concacaf competitions. Choinière is a wonderful dribbler with excellent vision, who pops up in clever spaces in the penalty area.
Easton Ongaro (Pacific FC, FC Edmonton)
Another one of the CPL's top goalscorers, Ongaro scored 30 in his four years in the CPL, split between FC Edmonton and Pacific. At 6'7", Ongaro was a fearsome attacker to defend against.
Woobens Pacius (Forge FC)
Pacius broke onto the scene midway through 2021 with Forge and pretty much never stopped scoring. He scored 26 regular season goals in 73 games, and added a further three in the playoffs, where he helped the Hammers win three consecutive titles.
Kwasi Poku (Forge FC)
Poku started life at Forge as a left-back, and was quite effective for the club as a young player. In 2024, though, coach Bobby Smyrniotis tried him out at centre-forward, to immediate success. Poku went on an incredible tear, scoring 10 goals in less than three months before Belgian club RWD Molenbeek came knocking in August. Despite leaving Forge mid-season, Poku was still the CPL's Best U-21 Canadian award winner last year, and he made his CanMNT debut in October.
Sam Salter (Atlético Ottawa, Halifax Wanderers)
Salter is currently leading the CPL's Golden Boot race with eight goals already in 2025, but he's been scoring in this league for a while. He bagged 11 for the Wanderers back in 2022, and he has 34 career regular season goals in the CPL to put him third all-time.
Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
Tabla is a consistent finalist in the Players' Player of the Year voting, and is one of the CPL's most dynamic attacking players. He was a crucial part of Atleti's 2022 regular season title win, and after a brief stint in Turkey he is once again causing nightmares for defenders as part of Ottawa's front three.
Marco Bustos playing for Pacific FC.