Not even a year into the role as manager of the Canadian men’s national team, Jesse Marsch has already made a significant impact on how, and more importantly how well, the team have been playing.
Between the 2024 Copa América, and important Concacaf Nations League matches, however, Marsch hasn’t had much time to take a wider look at the Canadian soccer player pool. This year, continental competition and a number of potential friendlies will provide a crucial opportunity to do just that.
This is also, unquestionably, a vital year for the national team. With a home World Cup in just over 500 days, minutes absolutely have to be managed in terms of providing opportunities to players who could or will be an important part of that World Cup squad. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be chances, especially with several key players expected to miss the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup due to scheduling overlap with the Club World Cup.
Here are six players who Jesse Marsch could, and probably should, call up for the first time in 2025 to get a look at how they adapt to the national team environment:
FW – Promise David (Union Saint-Gilloise / BEL)
![Call up 1]()
No player should be higher on Marsch’s list of dual nationals, or players in general, to bring into a national team camp right now than the 23-year-old striker.
Having come through the Toronto FC academy, as well as Vaughan Azzurri in his youth days, the Brampton native would then go across the pond to find a pro opportunity, with stops in Malta and Estonia. It was that last stop where he truly started to show his potential, absolutely lighting up the Estonian top flight with Kalju FC and earning a move to Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian top flight.
With USG, he has had an outstanding first campaign, scoring five goals, and adding two assists, in the Jupiler Pro League, while scoring a further four in cup competition. Standing 6-5, David is both incredibly quick and smooth on the ball for his size with outstanding offensive instincts, movement, and finishing ability.
He would offer a different profile from what Canada currently has up top, and has translated that game very well to a solid level in Europe. Having previously represented Nigeria at the youth level during U-23 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, the Super Eagles may come calling as well if he continues on this trajectory, so time is of the essence.
MF – Justin Smith (Espanyol / ESP)
![Call up 2]()
The former Canada U-20 captain spent the past few years bouncing around the divisions in France after failing to break into the first team with OGC Nice. However, a move to Espanyol in La Liga has been a huge boost for the 21-year-old.
Appearing regularly for Espanyol’s second team, he has now made five appearances for the first team in league action over the past two months, including starting three times.
What is most intriguing about Smith is his profile. A defensive midfielder who can also play as a central defender if required, he could be a key asset should Canada want to play with players like Stephen Eustáquio and Ismaël Koné further forward. Excellent on the ball, he has the sort of technical proficiency and work rate that will fit incredibly well in Jesse Marsch’s system.
While Canada doesn’t necessarily need to rush to cap tie Smith, with his birth nation of France unlikely to call him anytime soon, the case is getting more and more compelling to get him integrated as soon as possible ahead of 2026.
FW - Daniel Jebbison (Bournemouth / ENG)
![Call up 3]()
A name that has long been on the minds of Canadian men’s national team supporters, 2025 might finally be the year for the 21-year-old from Oakville to commit to Canada. Thus far, Jebbison has chosen to represent England at the youth level, including winning the UEFA European U-19 Championship with the Three Lions in 2022.
But the youngest player to ever score in their first start in an English Premier League match — something he did in 2020 while playing for Sheffield United — has been in conversations with head coach Jesse Marsch about a potential switch to Canada. With a year to go until a home World Cup, 2025 would be a pretty ideal time.
Since that first goal for Sheffield, things haven’t been exactly linear in Jebbison’s career. After the Blades were relegated he spent two years in the Championship. When they returned to the Premier League last season, Jebbison was limited to just a single appearance due to a blood clot issue.
Now recovered, he has since moved to Bournemouth, from whom he was sent on loan to Watford earlier this season. He struggled to find his footing with the Championship club and went goalless in 13 matches. With injuries piling up at the striker position for the Cherries, however, Jebbison was recently recalled to Bournemouth, where he scored in stoppage time during a 5-1 victory over West Brom in the FA Cup.
Canada’s striker depth is undoubtedly increasing, and that is without even including some of the other players mentioned on this list as potential call-ups. But Les Rouges certainly aren’t in a place yet where they can pass up on a 21-year-old playing in the Premier League if there is mutual interest.
MF – Alessandro Hojabrpour (Forge FC / CAN)
![Call up 4]()
Another strong defensive midfield option closer to home is Alejandro Hojabrpour, who having just turned 25 is entering his prime years. Now with six seasons of Canadian Premier League experience under his belt, the Burnaby, B.C. midfielder has improved each season.
With 131 matches played in the league since its 2019 inaugural season, he has won three CPL Finals, scoring the winning goal in two of them. A tempo-setting midfielder who is outstanding positionally and defensively while also able to progress play efficiently, he won the CPL’s Best U-21 Canadian Player award in 2021, and was a nominee for the league’s Player of the Year award this past season.
He has previously represented Canada at the U-17 level while a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy, scoring against Cuba at the 2017 Concacaf U-17 Championship.
Hojabrpour’s future with Forge remains unclear, as he is currently out of contract. But regardless of where he is playing his club football in 2025, he is worth a call into camp from Marsch, because he has all of the talent and mentality to take a step to the next level.
FW – Dieu-Merci Michel (Vitória S.C. / POR)
![Call up 5]()
Yet another striker who has burst onto the scene this year is 20-year-old Dieu-Merci Michel.
After trialling with multiple clubs throughout Europe, including Bayern Munich and Club Brugge, Michel joined Vitória Guimarães’s youth team in 2022. Following a few incredibly prolific years with their U-19 and second teams he has finally broken through to the first team in the past month.
So far, it is going incredibly well. He scored his first professional goal in a 4-4 draw with Sporting Lisbon, before tallying again this past weekend in the Taça de Portugal. Evidently, he will have to continue to build on this hot start in order to earn a call-up, but on a Vitória side who currently sit second in the UEFA Conference League table, and sixth in Liga Portugal there could be a lot of opportunity ahead for the young striker.
Another incredibly tall striker at 6-3, Michel uses that frame well, especially in the air. He would be an instant threat for Canada on set pieces, and absolutely has the technical ability to play at the highest level. He has previously participated in training sessions with the senior national team, including in June 2023 so he would not be in an unfamiliar environment should he receive an official call-up.
LB/LW – Matteo de Brienne (GAIS / SWE)
![Call up 6]()
This one might be a bit more of a long shot, but de Brienne is a player whose progress is worth keeping a close eye on in 2025. The 22-year-old full-back recently moved from the Canadian Premier League’s Atlético Ottawa to GAIS in the Swedish top division.
Part of what makes Matteo de Brienne so compelling to the Canadian men’s national team is the position that he plays. While the starting role at left-back for Canada couldn’t be more spoken for, after that there isn’t a significant amount of depth. To some degree, a case in point is the fact that without Davies available for November’s Concacaf Nations League clash with Suriname, Marsch chose to play Richie Laryea on his off side. Laryea was excellent, of course, but the fact that he was preferred over natural left-sided options was telling.
Sam Adekugbe, albeit largely because of injury, has yet to make an appearance under Jesse Marsch. Raheem Edwards and Zorhan Bassong were in the preliminary camp before those matches, but the former is without a club at the moment.
If de Brienne can hit the ground running in Sweden and prove himself to be a reliable option in that league, similar to what Derek Cornelius was able to do with Malmo a few years back, he could quickly rise up the pecking order. With boundless energy and intensity, plus a flair for the dramatic, he would be an outstanding fit for a Jesse Marsch team.
