Vancouver FC today announced the signing of Surrey, B.C. centre-back Matteo Campagna to a one-year guaranteed contract with club options that could see the local player with VFC through 2026.
“I am very happy to sign with Vancouver FC,” said Campagna. “There is an amazing group of people here who are all dedicated to this project and to our success. I am very excited to be a part of what is being built and I’m looking forward to getting this season started.”
Campagna, 19, joins the growing list of young Canadian talent in Vancouver’s 2024 squad. He becomes the seventh domestic under-21 player in the side, joining defenders Tyler Crawford, Anthony White, James Cameron, and Elage Bah; midfielder Grady McDonnell; and forward Taryck ‘TJ’ Tahid.
Campagna got his start in soccer with local youth club Surrey United SC, before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps FC academy system in 2017. He spent three seasons in the academy, gaining valuable experiences in international competitions such as the West Ham United Football Cup in 2018 and SportChain Cup in Rotterdam in 2019.
In April 2021, Campagna signed his first professional agreement, an MLS Homegrown Contract, with the Whitecaps senior team. He made his professional debut later that season while on loan to Canadian Premier League (CPL) side York United FC, where Campagna made three starts in five appearances and registered 288 minutes for the Nine Stripes.
He spent the majority of the next two seasons representing Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) in MLS NEXT Pro playing alongside now-VFC teammates Vasco Fry and Bah. Campagna made 25 starts in 29 appearances since the inauguration of the team and scored his first professional goal in May 2023. Throughout his time with WFC2, Campagna earned 15 call ups to the Whitecaps’ first team, making one appearance as a second-half substitute in the Whitecaps’ Concacaf Champions League tie against Honduran side Real C.D. España in March 2023.
“We are very excited to have another promising young local player who will add more depth and quality to our selection,” said Afshin Ghotbi, Head Coach, Vancouver FC. “Matteo, a central defender, can defend well on the ground and in the air. He also shows composure and comfort on the ball allowing him to play an important role in starting attacking sequences. We look forward to his contributions and development in 2024.”
Internationally, Campagna has represented Canada at the under-15 and under-20 levels. In 2019, the defender played in all five matches for Canada at the Concacaf Under-15 Championship, helping the squad reach the semifinals. More recently, Campagna was a part of Canada’s side at the Concacaf Under-20 Championship in 2022. He appeared in three of Canada’s four games at that competition.
Campagna is the twelfth B.C.-born player signed to Vancouver’s squad this season. The 19-year-old defender joins goalkeeper Callum Irving; defenders Kadin Chung, White, Cameron, Paris Gee and David Norman; midfielders Ben Fisk, McDonnell, Zach Verhoven, and Thomas Powell; and forward Tahid as hometown athletes.