Alphonso Davies Wants to Show The World What Canada Is About: ‘I Think People Underestimate Us’
Categoria: Musica
The Canadian soccer star and national team captain talks about his love of Drake and drill, making his own music and what he wants the world to see when Toronto and Vancouver play host.
Por Billboard | 10/06/2026
This story is part of Billboard’s Global World Cup Series, a collection of 11 cover stories which pairs top soccer stars across the world competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with highly-touted musicians in accompanying countries. In just a few days, the eyes of the world will turn to Toronto and Vancouver for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At the center of that global spotlight stands Alphonso Davies, captain of the Canadian men’s national team. Though he’s battling through injuries and may miss the beginning of the tournament, the 25-year-old soccer star is a perfect encapsulation of the young and scrappy host team and the country they represent. He’s stylish and energetic, easy to root for, but not just happy to be here. He wants to win. He wants to show the world that Canadians aren’t just hockey-playing nice guys. They can be ruthless. They can win. And, as with globally popular artists like Drake and Justin Bieber, they can be the drivers of worldwide sport and culture. “A lot of people underestimate us Canadians,” Davies says. Related Joey Bada$ & Miles Robinson Compare Notes on What Drives Them & Why ‘Athletes Love Artists’ Ahead of World Cup Zeca Pagodinho, Romário and Bebeto: Three Legends Talk Music, Soccer, Brazil & the Party Enzo Fernández Talks With La T y La M: ‘Music Is Life, and in Soccer It Helps You Stay Focused’ Born in a refugee camp in Ghana after his parents fled the civil war in Liberia, the player known affectionately as Phonzy has already lived many lives. His family immigrated to Canada when he was a young child, and he settled in Edmonton, Alberta when he was 5 years old. By the age of 15, he was a budding star on Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the first-ever player born in the 2000s to play professionally in the North American MLS league. Soon, he was transferred to Bayern Munich in Germany, where he has won seven Bundesliga titles — the most recent coming less than two months ago, after recovering from recent hamstring and ACL injuries and an earlier diagnosis of myocarditis (heart inflammation). Beyond the pitch, Davies is one of the most popular players in the world. He has more than 6 million followers on TikTok and more than 5 million on Instagram, and is often surrounded by music — afrobeats like Burna Boy and Davido, drill hip-hop like Tee Grizzley and Moneybagg Yo, and countrymen like Drake, who he got to know personally after attending his concert in Germany in 2025 (see our interview with Drake producer and Canada Soccer Music Ambassador Boi1da for more on that here ). With high-profile fashion brand deals and friendships with online stars like iShowSpeed, he’s a star of the modern runway that is the arena tunnel, an occasionally drill rapper, and a man that everyone wants a piece of — especially now. Billboard Canada caught up with Davies to talk about the importance of music to him and his game, his favorite artists, his own forays into music and what he hopes the world will lear