Footballers around the world are travelling this week to represent their country during FIFA’s international window, and a handful of Canadian Premier League players are among them.
In total, 10 CPLers have received the call from six different countries across three continents, and they’ll be representing their clubs on the world stage over the next week or so.
Plus, a quick shoutout is due to two former CPL players — Jonathan Sirois and Joel Waterman, both now of CF Montréal — who were named in the Canadian men’s national team squad for this week’s friendlies.
Aside from them, here’s a quick roundup of which current CPL players will be playing international football in September.
Guatemala: Marco Domínguez (Pacific FC)
- Thursday, Sept. 5 vs. Martinique (Concacaf Nations League A)
- Monday, Sept. 9 vs. Costa Rica (Concacaf Nations League A)
Domínguez will be in Guatemala City for Los Chapines’ first 2024-25 Nations League group stage matches at home. The Guatemalans will be looking to improve on their previous campaign, where they finished fourth in the group.
A top two finish would secure them a place in the quarter-finals, but they’ll have to navigate a six-team group that includes Costa Rica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Suriname and Guyana.
Domínguez was a midseason addition for Pacific, and so far he has made five CPL appearances plus a half off the bench against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The Montreal-born midfielder has 16 caps for Guatemala so far.
Haiti: Garven Metusala (Forge FC), Mikaël Cantave (Vancouver FC)
- Friday, Sept. 6 @ Puerto Rico (Concacaf Nations League B)
- Monday, Sept. 9 vs. Sint Maarten (Concacaf Nations League B)
Both Metusala and Cantave are on their way to Mayagüez, Puerto Rico this week as Haiti begin their campaign in Nations League B. They’re in Group C alongside Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten and Aruba, the first two of which they’ll take on in this window.
The winner of the group will earn promotion to Nations League A as well as the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, both of which would mean more tests against stronger opposition for the Haitians.
So far, Forge defender Metusala has made eight appearances for Haiti and he should add to that this week. So too should Cantave, who has 13 caps to his name.
Republic of Ireland (U-17s): Grady McDonnell (Vancouver FC)
- Thursday, Sept. 6 vs. Denmark U-17 (Friendly)
- Sunday, Sept. 8 vs. Denmark U-17 (Friendly)
The Vancouver FC’s 16-year-old phenom has earned yet another call to the Irish youth national team, this time to play in a pair of friendlies with Denmark in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain.
McDonnell has already played three times for Ireland’s U-17s as well as at several other youth levels, but he’s also still eligible for Canada.
The Vancouver-born midfielder has made 12 appearances for VFC so far in his first professional season.
Lebanon: Gabriel Bitar (Vancouver FC)
- Wednesday, Sept. 4 vs. Tajikistan (Merdeka Tournament) (Won 1-0)
- Sunday, Sept. 8 vs. Malaysia (Merdeka Tournament)
Bitar is the lone North American-based player in the Lebanese squad this window, and he’s travelled all the way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to take part in the 2024 Merdeka Tournament, an invitational friendly competition organized by the Football Association of Malaysia.
He played 45 minutes off the bench on Tuesday in Lebanon’s semifinal win over Tajikistan, and could be in line for more minutes in Sunday’s final when they take on Malaysia.
In total, Bitar has five caps for Lebanon, including at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and in World Cup Qualifying.
Philippines: Matthew Baldisimo (York United FC)
- Wednesday, Sept. 4 vs. Malaysia (Merdeka Tournament) (Lost 2-1)
- Sunday, Sept. 8 vs. Tajikistan (Merdeka Tournament)
Also taking part in the Merdeka Tournament is York United’s Matthew Baldisimo, who — alongside his brother Michael of the San Jose Earthquakes — is there representing the Philippines.
Baldisimo made his international debut on Wednesday in his side’s 2-1 loss to Malaysia, playing 23 minutes. Unfortunately, the loss means Baldisimo won’t get to play against a fellow CPLer in Bitar, but the Philippines will still get to compete for third place in Sunday’s game against Tajikistan.
Trinidad and Tobago: Reon Moore (Pacific FC), Andre Rampersad (Halifax Wanderers), Ryan Telfer (Halifax Wanderers), Steffen Yeates (Pacific FC)
- Friday, Sept. 6 @ Honduras (Concacaf Nations League A)
- Tuesday, Sept. 10 vs. French Guiana (Concacaf Nations League A)
A whopping four CPLers earned a call-up to this month’s Soca Warriors squad, as they begin their own Concacaf Nations League A campaign.
Trinidad are in Group B, where they’ll be competing with Jamaica, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras and French Guiana, the latter two of which they’ll play this week. After getting to the quarter-finals of the previous competition, they’ll be looking to at least return there.
Pacific striker Moore is a veteran contributor for his country, with eight goals in 25 caps so far — including a goal against the United States in last year’s Nations League quarter-final. His club teammate Yeates only debuted for Trinidad in June’s World Cup qualifiers, but he could be in line for a second and third cap in this window.
Meanwhile, Wanderers forward Ryan Telfer was a high-profile name to commit to the country when he chose to do so in 2019. Since then, he’s scored 10 times for Trinidad in 29 games, though he’s only played in one of their seven matches so far in 2024 due to injury. Telfer might be looking to combine with Moore up top in their difficult tests against Honduras and French Guiana.
Rampersad is Telfer’s club captain in Halifax and now also a familiar companion at the international level. The Wanderers skipper has 14 international caps and should start in midfield for the Soca Warriors this week.