2022 World Cup: The fan in me comes out with FIFA – Alphonso Davies

The Bayern Munich star, who insists he will never be afraid to express himself or communicate his opinions, is now one of the sport’s most personable players.

Alphonso Davies made his public debut about four and a half years ago.

He was only a teenager at the time, sporting braces on his teeth, and he was most likely nervous.

The name of Davies, much alone his narrative, would have only been known to the most devoted of North American admirers. He was still a child, after all, only 17 years old.

But there he was, delivering a passionate speech to a packed house of FIFA dignitaries. He described how Canada welcomed him and his family as they left Liberia’s civil war as part of a tumultuous existence that brought him from Ghana to Edmonton to Vancouver and, as we now know, to superstardom in Munich.

On that day, as he pushed to bring the 2026 World Cup to North America, he spoke about what a World Cup would mean to him and his country.

That 17-year-old boy has long since vanished, replaced by a 22-year-old man who has accomplished far more than he could have anticipated. He’s already a Champions League winner, one of the best players in his position, and a role model for young players worldwide.

He’s also his country’s biggest-ever soccer star, having helped earn Canada a spot in the 2026 World Cup and then qualifying for the 2022 edition.And he’s eager to drag everyone else along for the adventure, as he has done since bursting onto the scene.

Davies is anxious to demonstrate the excitement of it all, from his Twitch streams to his social media presence. Davies displays his fandom in a world where most footballers remain robotic and secure.

There’s nothing buttoned up about the genuine joy he exudes, from the shouts to the smiles. He cherishes both his big moments and his modest ones.

Davies’ superpower is how approachable he feels off the field considering how fantastic he is on it, whether it’s watching his country play a crucial qualifier on stream or going bananas over a FIFA pack.