A couple of former MLS NEXT Pro players were named to Jesse Marsch's Canadian World Cup roster on Friday.
Ali Ahmed and Tani Oluwaseyi were regular contributors in MLS NEXT Pro before breaking into their respective first teams and eventually earning moves to Europe.
They are among several current and former MLS stars who have also logged appearances in one way or another in the league, underscoring that you just never know who you'll see pop in on any given week in MLS NEXT Pro.
Read more about the league's connections to team Canada below.
Ahmed, 25, represents the first-ever Vancouver Whitecaps player to complete the pathway of Academy, second-team, and first-team contracts.
He starred in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022 before going on to be a full-time first-teamer the next year. He helped WFC win three Canadian Championships en route to being a starter in their Audi MLS Cup Final appearance in 2025. It all added up to him catching the attention of English Championship side Norwich City and Ahmed made the move ahead of the Canaries' 2026 campaign.
Oluwaseyi, 25, is now a striker for La Liga mainstays Villarreal with fellow MLS NEXT Pro alum Alex Freeman
He got his start in MLS NEXT Pro after being selected in the first round of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by Minnesota United. In stints with MNUFC2 in 2022 and 2023, Oluwaseyi consistently showed flashes that he was ready for the big time, and the rumor mill started churning early. He established himself as a starter for the Loons in 2025, posting a 10g/8a season in MLS play before Villarreal put together the transfer for a reported $9 million.
That's right, Bombito benefited from a brief stint with Rapids 2 before his rise to stardom began.
As a third-overall selection in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, Bombito represented the first-ever player to be drafted from the University of New Hampshire. An early injury in his debut season made a four-game stint with Rapids 2 his on-ramp before joining the first team, where we went on to become a 2024 MLS All-Star selection prior to his move to Ligue 1 giants OGC Nice.
Ramping back up from the heroics that took him out of Los Angeles FC's all-timer 2022 MLS Cup win, Crépeau used a five-game stint with LAFC 2 ahead of his return to action in 2023.
He took on a brief captain's role before his return to MLS action after nearly a year-long rehab process.
Originally a pathway player for Toronto FC, Shaffelburg lined up for one match with TFC II in MLS NEXT Pro's inaugural season in 2022.
Canada World Cup roster by position
GOALKEEPERS (3)
- Maxime Crépeau, Orlando City
- Owen Goodman, Crystal Palace
- Dayne St. Clair, Inter Miami CF
DEFENDERS (9)
- Moïse Bombito, OGC Nice
- Derek Cornelius, Marseille
- Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich
- Luc de Fougerolles, Fulham
- Alistair Johnston, Celtic
- Alfie Jones, Middlesbrough
- Richie Laryea, Toronto FC
- Niko Sigur, Hajduk Split
- Joel Waterman, Chicago Fire FC
MIDFIELDERS (10)
- Ali Ahmed, Norwich City
- Tajon Buchanan, Villarreal
- Mathieu Choinière, LAFC
- Stephen Eustáquio, LAFC
- Marcelo Flores, Tigres UANL
- Ismaël Koné, Sassuolo
- Liam Millar, Hull City
- Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC
- Nathan Saliba, Anderlecht
- Jacob Shaffelburg, LAFC
FORWARDS (4)
- Jonathan David, Juventus
- Promise David, Union SG
- Cyle Larin, Mallorca
- Tani Oluwaseyi, Villarreal
Group Stage
The Canadians will compete out of Group B with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, and Qatar. They begin with Bosnia on June 12 in Toronto.
