6 new players who could step up for the CanMNT at 2025 Gold Cup
The 2025 Gold Cup is rapidly approaching, as the CanMNT prepares to begin their journey to try to lift that trophy for the second time in their history, having last done so in 2000.
Given that it’s the last opportunity this Canadian side will have to play competitive games and lift a trophy before the 2026 World Cup, it promises to be a crucial tournament for Jesse Marsch and his side, who will have plenty to prove after missing out on Concacaf Nations League glory in heartbreaking fashion in March.
Despite that, however, Marsch will face some challenges in putting together his best squad for this Gold Cup, as he’ll be without some regulars due to different reasons, including injury and commitments related to the 2025 Club World Cup.
Along with the potential for some transfers, which could further skew availability, it might push Marsch to go deeper down the depth chart than he’s previously needed to since his arrival last year.
The good news? Canada’s depth appears to be in a better place than ever. Those who miss out will just be replaced by hungry players who are regularly performing in North America and Europe, which will just further expand this team’s depth pool at all positions.
With that in mind, here’s a look at one player at each position who could stand to earn a bigger look this summer.
Goalkeeper: Owen Goodman
In goal, Canada should be in strong hands, with Dayne St.Clair off to a great start to the 2025 MLS season and Maxime Crépeau back to earning minutes for the Portland Timbers after a tough start to his campaign.
Despite that, there is room for a third name to emerge and push that pair ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and the big one to watch is Owen Goodman, as the 21-year-old Crystal Palace product is wrapping up a breakout campaign on loan with AFC Wimbledon in EFL League 2.
There, he’s made 51 appearances across all competitions, helping Wimbledon finish 5th in the table, also currently putting them up 1-0 vs. Notts County in their playoff semi-final. There, he’s conceded just 39 goals in those 51 games, keeping 23 clean sheets, while preventing 3.52 goals above expected in the 47 League 2 matches.
Because of that, it’s expected he takes a big jump forward next season, one where a loan move to the Championship seems like a possibility, which would further push him closer to one day taking the reins in the Premier League for Palace.
For someone who has openly said he is interested in playing for Canada, it feels like a no-brainer to call him up, as he appears to have the sort of long-term potential that makes him a great option at this position.
The lone big hurdle? That he still needs to secure his passport, so even though he appears to be eligible, that is something he’ll need to get done if Canada is to come calling.
As a result, also keep an eye on familiar names such as Tom McGill, Jonathan Sirois and James Pantemis - otherwise, one last name to watch is Grégoire Swiderski, who has excelled for Canada’s U20s, and did make CD Alaves’s La Liga squad a few times in 2024-2025, having joined their youth team following his departure from Bordeaux.
Centre back: Jamie Knight-Lebel
Jesse Marsch faces a possible conundrum at centre back this Gold Cup, as it appears Moïse Bombito could be a doubt for the tournament as he recovers from a wrist injury, per TSN’s Matthew Scianitti. Given that Bombito has played every minute under Marsch, he’d leave behind a big hole, one that won’t be easy to fill.
One player who could help do that, however, is Knight-Lebel, as the 20-year-old has already impressed Marsch enough to earn his debut, looking good in a cameo off the bench vs. Suriname in Nations League action last fall.
Having just wrapped up a season where he made 38 appearances on loan with EFL League 2 side Crewe Alexandra, scoring three goals and helping them to a midtable 13th place finish, he looks poised to take a jump next year as he returns to parent club Bristol City in the Championship.
An aggressive centre back who loves to get stuck in but is also solid on the ball, he certainly has the mentality to play under Marsch, which is likely why he wasn’t shy in handing him his debut. He might not have the speed of Bombito (who does, to be fair?), but he could use other areas of his game to help fill that hole left behind, such as that willingness to get stuck in, which helped him keep up in a physical League 2 season.
As seen here, Jamie Knight-Lebel had some strong defensive numbers, combined with some decent ball-playing figures (via Ben Griffis)
Otherwise, Kyle Heibert is one to watch here, as he’s had a solid start to the year for St.Louis CITY, where he’s played an active role on the outside of a back three and as a full back, which could help him ease into a Marsch system he is familiar with having also played in a similar set-up on past St.Louis teams.
Full back: Matteo de Brienne
After some standout seasons in the Canadian Premier League, de Brienne made a big move this offseason, as he joined Swedish Allsvenskan side GAIS on a transfer.
That is something to watch for Canada, who will have a big hole to fill at left back this summer, with Alphonso Davies recovering from a long-term knee injury and Sam Adekugbe battling various injuries.
Off to a good start to life in Sweden, where de Brienne already racked up 471 minutes across league and cup action, the 22-year-old could be a nice fit in Marsch’s system.
GOAL 🏡@AtletiOttawa's Rubén del Campo opens the scoring against @HFXWanderersFC after a flurry of attacking intent 😎
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 27, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/eEWEBshAOv
An energetic player who loves to fly up and down the field, he’d be able to fulfill the demands Marsch asks of his full backs on both sides of the ball, which isn’t always easy for players to manage.
Those skills have helped him quickly integrate into a team in a good league, one that could certainly put him in the conversation to earn a Canada call.
Matteo de Brienne with the HUGE block to keep this game scoreless going into halftime!#CanPL I 📺 @onesoccer pic.twitter.com/wVfLjmj8Y8
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) November 2, 2024
Otherwise, someone else to watch is Luca Petrasso, who has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of CF Montréal’s recent managerial change, as he’s put in some good performances at left back under interim head coach Marco Donadel after starting the year in an unfamiliar outside centre back role under Laurent Courtois, even scoring his first goal with the club vs. the Columbus Crew in MLS action this week.
Central midfielder: Ralph Priso
Quietly, the midfield might be the area where you see the most experimentation from Marsch this summer, as Stephen Eustáquio will be unavailable due to Club World Cup commitments, leaving Canada without their main piece in the middle of the park.
Given that Marsch’s other main options, such as Ismaël Koné and Mathieu Choinière, have struggled for consistent minutes lately (although Koné appears to have found some footing with Stade Rennais in the past few weeks), that could open the door for players like Niko Sigur to play bigger roles, for example.
One new name, however, could be Ralph Priso, who is one of the handful of players who have benefited most from the Vancouver Whitecaps' red-hot start to 2025 under new head coach Jesper Sørensen.
There, he’s become a trusted part of the Whitecaps midfield, appearing in 17 out of 20 games across all competitions, making seven starts, racking up 615 minutes. By comparison, he made 20 appearances for a total of 757 minutes across all of 2024, as he struggled to find a regular role under Vanni Sartini, showing how much he’s taken a step forward on a Whitecaps team that has been arguably the best in Concacaf to start 2025.
For a Canadian side that has lacked #6s who can break up play and pass the ball forward, Priso also fits that profile, so while his form might earn him a call into the squad, that tactical fit could get him on the field at the Gold Cup, too.
Still just 22, it’s easy to forget he was once a bright prospect with Toronto FC before an injury derailed that progress, with this recent stretch looking like a sign that he might be finally returning to those heights after some trying years, something that Marsch will like to see.
Otherwise, keep an eye on Nathan Saliba, who has already seen the field under Marsch.
He’s off to a slower start to 2025 than hoped, but he had bounceback performances in Montréal’s most recent win vs. NYCFC (which was their first of 2025), as well as a draw vs. the Columbus Crew, and has shown the potential to be an important piece in Canada’s midfield with his ability to dominate games on the ball. Given that he's also showing signs of making some big defensive improvements, he could add a lot as a box-to-box midfielder, which is a profile Canada still needs more of, even if its not as big of a priority as more defensive midfield depth.
Winger: Jayden Nelson
While Priso has been a big beneficiary of Sørensen’s arrival at the Whitecaps, the biggest by far has been Jayden Nelson, who has been on fire to start the year.
Having made the return to MLS to join the Whitecaps, the former Toronto FC academy graduate has been a revelation, scoring two goals and adding six assists in just 14 appearances (740 minutes) across all competitions. 
It's hard to say what's more impressive - Nelson's ball progression, final product or his defensive numbers. Marsch will love the defensive numbers - the CanMNT could use that final product (via Ben Griffis)
For context, he scored just one goal and added three assists in 50 games for Toronto FC in his previous stint in MLS from 2020 to 2022, showing how remarkable this stretch has been. Granted, he did score five goals and added six assists in the 2023 campaign with Rosenborg, so it’s not as if this output has come completely out of nowhere, but even those numbers came in 1000 more minutes across 14 more appearances.
Someone who was just supposed to shore up Vancouver’s attacking depth after a rough 2024 for Rosenborg which saw him end the year on a forgettable loan to Bundesliga. 2 side SSV Ulm, he’s become a key piece in the Whitecaps frontline, doing a great job of tormenting defenders in 1v1 situations with his trickery, speed and end product.
That could lend itself well to a Canadian side looking for more goals, as one could see Nelson playing a similar role to Jacob Shaffelburg, who has been a key goalscoring threat under Marsch thanks to his ability to play directly on the ball.
Elsewhere, Theo Corbeanu is someone to watch, as he’s started to find some goal contributions for Toronto FC as of late, up to two goals and two assists in all competitions so far this season, should Marsch need to look at another winger.
Striker: Promise David
A big Gold Cup awaits Canada’s forwards, as it could be an excellent opportunity for a hungry group of in-form strikers to finally get their chance to play for Canada.
Leading the way is Promise David, who is having a magical season for Union St-Gilloise, who are on the verge of winning the Belgian league for the first time since 1935, sitting one point ahead of Club Brugge with two games to go.
David has been a key piece for them, scoring 21 goals and adding five assists across all competitions, including 16 goals and four assists in 32 league appearances. A big, physical striker with a deft touch and an eye for goal, he’s been a handful for defenders to deal with, as he can score in many ways, including with both feet. 
Promise David scores a lot, and gets a lot of chances, but he also creates a lot for his teammates (via Ben Griffis)
Because of that, it was exciting to see him file a one-time switch to join Canada earlier this year, as he looks to be someone who could help this team score more goals, while looking to be a nice fit alongside someone like Jonathan David, a partnership they can potentially start to work on in their Canadian Shield friendlies next month or in this Gold Cup.
Beyond David, however, several other names could earn significant cameos at the Gold Cup - Tani Oluwaseyi, Jacen Russell-Rowe, Daniel Jebbison, Theo Bair, Deandre Kerr and Dieu-Merci Michel are just a few to keep an eye on, among many others.
The challenge for Marsch will be to figure out which of those strikers he brings to this tournament, a decision which will leave him with a big headache, but one thing is for sure - Promise David should be one of the locks to not just be in the squad, but earn significant minutes.
