His name is Promise. A promise that now feels like a prophecy. Even before stepping onto the pitch at Vancouver’s BC Place against Switzerland, Promise David had told those close to him that he would score in this city.
A few months earlier, he had admitted he was predicting a goal in Vancouver.
"I have this weird thing where I can predict my goals before I score them. I don’t know in which match, but it’ll be in Vancouver," he said. On June 24th, in the 76th minute, the ball hit the back of the Swiss net. Promise kept.
That night, Canada still lost 2-1 to Switzerland in their final group stage match, surrendering top spot in Group B. But in defeat, David scored his first World Cup goal: coming on in the 74th minute for Tajon Buchanan, he found the net with his very first touch, before the stadium announcer had even finished announcing his substitution.
A classic striker’s goal, born from a spectacular aerial move. Luc De Fougerolles played a long cross-field ball from his own half to Nathan Saliba, who stretched to control and whipped in a first-time volleyed cross. Arriving at full speed, David dived in to finish.
"As the move was developing, I drifted slightly offside to give myself a few yards, because I knew the ball was going out wide," he explained after the match.
"Saliba made a great run inside and a brilliant touch. When I saw him get to the ball, I didn’t need to say anything else. I saw his eyes look for me. So I had two options: go to the near post or stay at the far post."
From Brampton to Vancouver, via Croatia, Malta and Estonia
David was born in Brampton, Ontario, the same hometown as Buchanan and Cyle Larin. Born in 2001 to Nigerian parents, he spent a few years with his grandparents in Nigeria before returning to Canada around the age of seven.
Football quickly became his passion. He was spotted by the Toronto FC academy, but at fifteen, he was let go. The club decided he wasn’t good enough.
The rest is an odyssey. The path that took David from Brampton to the Canadian national team ran through Malta, Estonia, Croatia and Belgium. It was a winding road.
In 2019, aged 18, he tried his luck in Europe. A trial camp organised by NK Trnje Zagreb, a Croatian second division club, in the suburbs of Oakville opened a door for him. He moved to Croatia two weeks later, but the experience quickly turned into a nightmare.
His coach in Zagreb was racist. "He didn’t want any Black players, no Africans in his team. He said shocking things. ‘Crnac’ for example, a racist term. Once, my teammates only translated what he said a month later, because they thought it was too serious," he explained in an interview with La Presse.
He moved on. Next stop: Malta, then Tulsa in the United States, but he never really managed to establish himself. “No” became the word he heard most often.
"If someone told me no, I’d probably stand in the doorway until they said yes. Or else, I’d move on to somewhere I’d get a yes. I went through several clubs where I just kept training, waiting for my chance."
His mother, desperate, begged him to stop. He refused.
"I felt like I was in a casino: you gamble your money, but when do you stop?" David kept going.
In 2023, he signed for Kalju FC in Estonia. There, finally, the no’s turned into yes’s and he hit 30 goals in 44 matches as Union Saint-Gilloise came calling.
In July 2024, he arrived in the Belgian Pro League and in his first season, he won the Belgian championship, the club’s first title since 1935.
Choosing Canada
David could have played for Nigeria, the country of his nationality. He even started with Nigeria’s youth teams, but despite interest from the federation, he made it clear he wanted to represent his birth country, Canada. In February 2025, he officially switched his international allegiance.
An injury could have ruined everything. In February, he felt what he described as an explosion in his hip during a match for Union. The tendon was torn, surgery was unavoidable, and he faced intensive rehab just months before a home World Cup. Still, Jesse Marsch kept a spot for him in the squad, waiting to see if he’d be fit in time.
The other David on the rise
This Canada side already has a star David: Jonathan, who has three goals at this World Cup and is the national team’s all-time top scorer.
Promise is the other one. Less well-known, less expected, perhaps more unpredictable. Like when he found the net against Switzerland, while the Juventus striker drifted through the match like a ghost.
His height and mere presence give Canada an extra, imposing attacking option, and his form has steadily improved throughout the group stage.
If he’s fit enough to play 90 minutes, his immediate impact could earn him a starting spot alongside Jonathan David for the knockout rounds.
Canada now face South Africa in the round of 32 in Los Angeles. Bafana Bafana, through to the knockout stage for the first time in their history, arrive with the confidence of underdogs. David, meanwhile, comes with the hunger of someone who’s had to fight for everything.
"I want people to say: ‘Do you remember that Canadian team in 2026? Oh my God, what a team.’ That’s my goal. I want us to set the place alight," he said.
Follow Canada's clash with South Africa here with Flashscore.
World Cup 2026
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament will feature 48 national teams and will be played in 16 modern stadiums.
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