Paul Stalteri first saw Alphonso Davies when he was 14 at a Canadian under-15 camp in Toronto.

B次元官网网址淵ou could see right away he had something different,B次元官网网址� said Stalteri, a former Canada captain who was a Canada Soccer youth coach at the time. B次元官网网址淥bviously at 14 a different body than he has now, but he was fast and dynamic and still powerful when you compared him to the players around him.B次元官网网址�

The question then was where would he play?

B次元官网网址淎t that age, almost like he is now, you could play him in any different position. And he was able to do special things,B次元官网网址� said Stalteri, now an assistant coach with Toronto FC. B次元官网网址淲e had him up front, we had him out wide. Obviously at that point youB次元官网网址檙e not going to put one of your best players, if not your best player, as a fullback but we had him up top with Jonathan (David) in (a few) games which was a pretty potent tandem together.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淗e had all the tools to be a real great player,B次元官网网址� he added.

Moving to Bayern Munich in early 2019 helped unlock those tools with then-manager Niko Kovac settling on him as left fullback after Injuries forced Bayern to make changes on its backline.

B次元官网网址淧eople always looked at him as a striker or a winger up until that point,B次元官网网址� said Stalteri, who blazed a trail for Canadians in Germany where he won the Bundesliga title with Werder Bremen. B次元官网网址淟ook at where he is now? HeB次元官网网址檚 arguably the best one in the world in his position. HeB次元官网网址檚 had a great run and heB次元官网网址檚 at a great club. Picking that place to go to was huge for him in his development and a real good decision for him.B次元官网网址�

Now Davies gets to shine on soccerB次元官网网址檚 biggest stage.

DaviesB次元官网网址� story is well known. Born in a refugee camp in Ghana to parents who had fled the civil war in Liberia, Davies came to Canada when he was five.

In July 2016, a 15-year-old Davies signed a homegrown player contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps, becoming the third-youngest in history to sign an MLS deal. Two years later, the Whitecaps agreed to sell Davies to Bayern Munich in a then-record MLS deal, worth possibly in excess of US$22 million.

Davies, then 17, finished out the season with Vancouver before officially joining Bayern in January 2019.

He was just 16 when he made his senior debut for Canada in June 2017 against Curacao, becoming the youngest menB次元官网网址檚 player in Canadian team history. He had obtained his Canadian citizenship the week before.

Davies scored twice in his next national team outing, a 4-2 win over French Guiana at the 2017 Gold Cup, where he won the Golden Boot Award as leading scorer and the Best Young Player Award as well as being named to the tournamentB次元官网网址檚 Best XI.

Davies has since become the face of Canadian menB次元官网网址檚 soccer, on and off the field. In June 2018, he opened CanadaB次元官网网址檚 presentation to the FIFA Council in Moscow as part the joint North American bid, along with the U.S. and Mexico, to host the 2026 World Cup.

B次元官网网址淭he people of North America have always welcomed me. If given the opportunity, I know they will welcome you,B次元官网网址� he told delegates.

Today Davies has 12 goals and 16 assists in 34 appearances for Canada. And his dream of playing at a home World Cup is on track.

In March 2021, Davies became the first footballer and first Canadian to be appointed as a global goodwill ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). He has already pledged to donate his World Cup earnings to charity.

Davies has played 143 games for Bayern in all competitions with eight goals and 21 assists. And his trophy cabinet is brimming with three Bundesliga titles, two German Cups, the UEFA Super Cup, DFL Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, not to mention a UEFA Champions League winnerB次元官网网址檚 medal.

He was Canada SoccerB次元官网网址檚 Player of the Year in 2018, B次元官网网址�20 and B次元官网网址�21 and CONCACAF Player of the Year in 2021.

Davies had a roller-coaster year, sidelined with symptoms of myocarditis, a mild heart condition, following a bout of COVID-19 over the BundesligaB次元官网网址檚 winter break.

He missed seven of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 14 games in CONCACAFB次元官网网址檚 final round of World Cup qualifying, eventually returning to action in mid-April.

More recently, he suffered a cranial bruise after taking an inadvertent boot to the face from Borussia DortmundB次元官网网址檚 Jude Bellingham in early October. And he limped out of a Nov. 5 game at Hertha Berlin clutching his hamstring.

Both Bayern and Davies say he is good to go in Qatar. Canada coach John Herdman has his fingers crossed.

Davies has endeared himself to many off the field as well.

His social media accounts are followed by a legion of fans. He has 6.6 million followers on TikTok, 5.1 million on Instagram and 472,800 on Twitter.

While sidelined earlier this year, Davies was a keen observer of the Canadian men as they marched towards World Cup qualification B次元官网网址� a bundle of energy as he livestreamed his reaction.

More recently he enthusiastically showed off his Halloween costume B次元官网网址� him riding a dinosaur B次元官网网址� on TikTok.

Canadian midfielder Jonathan Osorio says success has not spoiled Davies.

B次元官网网址淗e hasnB次元官网网址檛 changed with everything that he has accomplished,B次元官网网址� said the Toronto FC star. B次元官网网址淎nd thatB次元官网网址檚 really admirable. I think thatB次元官网网址檚 a great achievement in itself.

B次元官网网址淭o not lose yourself with everything thatB次元官网网址檚 going on with him and with all the attention and with the amount of achievements and accolades that he has got, itB次元官网网址檚 pretty amazing heB次元官网网址檚 still able to just be a normal kid and enjoy his life and live in the present day as himself and nobody else. HeB次元官网网址檚 genuinely himself on everything he does on social media, in real life.B次元官网网址�

Osorio still marvels at his human highlight-reel Canadian teammate.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty incredible the things that he can do athletically. I have the privilege to see it most days in training.B次元官网网址�

Canada captain Christine Sinclair is an unabashed fan of the 22-year-old from Edmonton.

B次元官网网址淎s soon as he has the ball, you just feel anythingB次元官网网址檚 possible,B次元官网网址� she said.

Even when he doesnB次元官网网址檛 have the ball.

In May 2020, Davies famously ran down striker Erling Haaland, then with Borussia Dortmund, from behind and ended a penalty-box threat. He was clocked at 35.3 kilometres per hour in chasing down Haaland, now with Manchester City.

Bayern veteran Thomas Muller dubbed Davies the Bayern Road Runner that day, referencing the speedy cartoon character.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a player with a lot of heart and a lot of power, extreme power,B次元官网网址� Mueller said after the game. B次元官网网址淪ometimes maybe heB次元官网网址檚 not (at his) best position on the field, but he gets the opponent when you think, B次元官网网址極h, I have time, I have timeB次元官网网址� and then B次元官网网址楳eep meep meep meepB次元官网网址� the FC Bayern Road Runner comes ahead and steals the ball.B次元官网网址�

And his rocket-like acceleration to intercept a ball B次元官网网址� headed toward touch with a Panama defender shepherding it out B次元官网网址� and then steam towards goal, undressing a defender before beating the B次元官网网址榢eeper in a World Cup qualifier in October 2021 only added to that legend.

DaviesB次元官网网址� speed is nothing new to EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 Nick Huoseh, who coached him as a youngster and now represents him.

B次元官网网址淗e was like a gazelle,B次元官网网址� Huoseh told The Canadian Press in 2020. B次元官网网址淗e would just take off and you canB次元官网网址檛 catch him.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擭eil Davidson, The Canadian Press