Lifestyle/Culture
Alphonso Davies: Canada’s Humble, Joyful Soccer Phenom By Sara Miller Llana
Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies, shown here after scoring the team's fourth goal during a match against Eintracht Frankfurt on May 23, 2020, enjoyed a stellar season in the German Bundesliga, earning Rookie of the Y ear honors in 2020-21.
AFTER CANADIAN SOCCER STAR Alphonso Davies and his team, Bayern Munich, clinched the Champions League in Europe this past weekend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted his congratulations to the 19-year-old left back. Mr. Davies replied: “Thank you Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau! Can I please come home for a week?” With that single tweet, the newest Canadian sports star revealed glimpses of how he has captivated his nation. It’s for more than the poise he possesses on the field despite his age, and it extends beyond the irresistible success story of a boy who came to Canada as a refugee and became one of the most important prospects in the game. His request to the prime minister was a reference to restrictions on travel because of the pandemic that has kept him apart from family in Alberta, 86
September-October 2020
while he basks in victory in one of soccer’s most important competitions. But with the question – which included a grimacing emoji and pleading hands along with three Canadian flags – he showed traces of the humility, groundedness, and charisma that his former coaches and sports observers say make him such a good role model and, to some, one of Canada’s most significant athletes. His story is impossible to put down, one that earned plaudits from the UN Refugee Agency and Canadian politicians across the spectrum. Perhaps most significantly to Mr. Davies, it earned him a follow on Instagram from rap icon (and Toronto native) Drake – a social media honor that had him shouting with delight.
From refugee to the world’s best He was born in Ghana’s Buduburam refugee camp, which was created for Liberians fleeing DAWN
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