Star Alphonso Davies carved his name into the history of national sport by scoring the first and only goal by a player from the country in the tournament
Left-back Alphonso Davies is Canada’s top scorer in the history of World Cups, having scored exactly one goal in the tournament. The Bayern Munich athlete broke a historic fast in the Qatar edition, in 2022, by finding the net in the 4-1 defeat against Croatia. Before this event, the team had only participated in the 1986 World Cup, where they were eliminated without scoring a single goal. The only other goal for Canada in the World Cup does not count for its attackers, as it was an own goal scored by Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd, also in 2022.
Alphonso Davies’ historic header in Qatar
The mark set by Alphonso Davies not only represents Canada’s first goal in World Cups, but also one of the fastest of the 2022 tournament. The historic goal came just 68 seconds into the first half.
After a long throw from goalkeeper Milan Borjan, the ball found space on the right side of the field. Winger Tajon Buchanan dominated and crossed with precision into the penalty area, where Davies appeared at speed to finish with a header, beating goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. The moment was one of immediate redemption for the number 19, who days before had wasted a penalty kick in the debut match against Belgium.
General ranking: the greatest scorers in the history of the national team
As Alphonso Davies emerges as the only player from the country to score goals at the World Cup, the statistics change drastically when we analyze the overall performance in all official competitions and friendlies. Away from the World Cup pitch, the list of the main team’s top scorers is led by specialists in the penalty area.
1. Jonathan David
The young center forward is the greatest scorer in Canadian history. Established in European football and with a lot of time on the ball, he leads the ranking alone with 37 goals scored in official matches for the national team.
2. Cyle Larin
Experienced striker Cyle Larin has scored 30 goals for Canada. He was the team’s main offensive cog during the Concacaf Qualifiers for the 2022 tournament, a period in which he led the regional scoring with 13 goals.
3. Dwayne DeRosario
Before the rise of the current generation, attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario held the absolute record for several years. He ended his international career with 22 goals recorded, being the team’s main technical reference during the 2000s.
The chance to rewrite statistics today
With the 2026 World Cup being played in North America, Canada is guaranteed a place as co-host country, alongside the United States and Mexico. The team led by coach Jesse Marsch will enter the field with the support of their fans seeking their first victory in the competition.
The tournament’s new configuration provides a perfect setting for the offensive system to shine. The leaders of the historic rankings, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin, will have the great chance to write their names in the tournament’s top scorer, taking away from Alphonso Davies the exclusivity of being the only Canadian scorer on the sport’s biggest stage.
