If Alphonso Davies had kept a diary of his journey, what a fairytale it would have been. With a World Cup record and three Bundesliga titles at 22, the fascinating story of the extremely talented left-footed player is not even near finished. What if we go back to the origin story, where it all began for Davies in a refugee camp, where all was dark, loomy and dreaming was near impossible…
Once upon a time in Buduburam, somewhere in a Ghanaian refugee camp, Davies was born after his parents had fled the civil war in Liberia. From that very hour of his birth, the fight for his life began. staying alive became difficult as the search for food and clean water was like The Ultimate search.
Davies’ father, Debeah had an option: stay back in Liberia, carry a gun and fight for his life and family with bullets, but he chose to escape the war for the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Davies was somehow kept alive with any food available and the stories his father told him, The stories of hard times, rough backgrounds, home country, and the possibility of his world. These stories were the early impetus that made Davies desire for a better life fired up. Davies was determined to fight for his family with his gift.
At age five, his family crossed the Atlantic Ocean, eventually settling in Edmonton, Alberta, long before he had the opportunity to step his feet on any football pitch, Davies had started fending for his family, helping his parents to cater for his two younger siblings, while his mom, Victoria worked long hours to make ends meet.
The moment he had the first chance to step within the four walls of a school, his multiple gifts caught the eye of the teachers of the Mother Theresa Catholic school who were struck with the immense natural talent of this wonderkid. He shone with anything he touched: basketball, track, football, rugby, any sport.
The sports coach of the school, Melissa Guzzo who quickly sensed Davies was out of the ordinary, took him to Tim Adams, the founder of Free Footie – a free after-school soccer league for young inner-city kids who can’t afford registration fees and equipment or get transportation to games.
All Davies needed to convince Tim was just his first touch and a few minutes into a Free Footie end-of-year tournament, the beast was let loose and he made magic. Incidentally, St. Nicholas Soccer Academy, a local soccer team’s coach, Marco Bossio was there to witness the magic: lightning-quick feet and speed with the ball. Immediately, Davies was signed to play for the Academy and he fit in perfectly.
But Davies had a major challenge in Canada. He could not communicate well in the English language. He stutters and speaks broken English. This affected him in the drama class and when they attended various events, his coach would help do the introduction but found out his feet had done the introduction ahead of him. Almost everybody knew him anyway. The boy with lightning-quick feet. His fame in the football community had traveled with the fame of his playing prowess spreading far and wide. That was when the idea of pursuing soccer for a living hit him first sprouted.
This new threshold was somewhat easy for Davies to cross. He was just enjoying himself, having fun with the ball and friends, to keep himself active and out of trouble. But when he could no longer walk the streets without hearing praises from parents, coaches, and teammates to keep at it, he realised there was a need to start believing in himself to make a profession of the beautiful game he loves so much. He started playing more organised soccer, training hard to improve his game match after match, deciding to go extra mile.
The stories his father had told him and his parents’ experience in the worn-torn Monrovia had prepared him for more. So, he moved from St. Nicholas to Edmonton Strikers. When he clocked 14, he was enrolled in the Vancouver Whitecaps’ residency program. His progress was rapid and, after becoming the youngest player to appear in the United Soccer League, he made history as the first player born in the 2000s to play in Major League Soccer. He was just 15 years, eight months, and 15 days old. He was immediately spotted as a big prospect by Whitecaps president, Bob Lenarduzzi. Within months, Davies further gave Bob a shock. He was promoted from U16 to U18, WFC2 [Whitecaps Football Club], and to the senior team
Soon, the once-in-a-generation was on the Canadian national team’s radar. From the U17 and U20 to the senior team, debuting against Curacao on the 14th of July 2017. A great moment that meant a lot to his family: having the Canadian crest on his chest with millions of the citizens behind him screaming their lungs out in support, as he takes on opposing teams. That day, a star was born.
It was the beginning of penning his name on the record books for his country, as Alphonso, still 16, became Canada’s youngest-ever goalscorer and the youngest to score at a Gold Cup with his brace against French Guiana. He was also the first player born in the 21st century to score at a major international tournament. The Canadian national team coach, John Herdman saw him as somebody other players can aspire to become, a representation of what Canada stands for.
Just before his record-fee move from the ML to the German giants, Bayern Munich, Davies was one of the faces used for the North America’s bid for the FIFA 2026 World Cup. His fascinating, inspiring, and emotional story became a big impact on the eventual win of the bid for Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America. Beyond being a superstar for his adopted country, Davies became a national hero.
Then, another chapter in Davies story opened. On the 28th of October in 2018, he moved from MLS to join the almighty Bayern club on a five-year deal. Despite his blossoming status in his home nation, walking into the Bayern dressing room was still a daunting prospect, especially when your childhood heroes are now teammates. The moment he walked into the dressing room was like a dream until he saw and realised that players like Arjen Robben, were real people.
Thanks to coach Julian Nagelsmann, Davies transited from a winger to a left-full-back and immediately became one of the finest exponents of the left-back art, beautifully redefining the position, claiming medals that other professionals could only dream of in 10 careers.
Last Saturday, Davies penned his name on a record for his country as the first player to score for Canada at a FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Alphonso’s history-making goal came after just 67 seconds of Canada’s Group F game against Croatia at Khalifa International Stadium.
The 22-year-old, who had failed to convert a penalty kick in a 1-0 loss to Belgium four days earlier, found the net with a powerful header after making a late run from a deep position to meet a cross from Taejon Buchanan.
