Teenage defender Stefan Kapor named to Canadian U-17 squad for CONCACAF qualifiers

By Canadian Press on January 27, 2026.

Teenage defender Stefan Kapor, who signed a homegrown player contract with Toronto FC in October, is among the 21 players chosen to represent Canada at next month’s CONCACAF U-17 Men’s Qualifiers.

The 16-year-old from Stoney Creek, Ont., currently with the MLS side at its training camp in Spain, signed with TFC through 2029 with a club option for 2030.

Canadian MLS academies are well represented on the U-17 roster with five players from CF Montreal (including one alternate), four from TFC (including two alternates) and two from the Vancouver Whitecaps.

“This group has earned the right to wear the shirt,” Canada under-17 coach Shane Lammie said in a statement. “Now the work starts.

“Our focus is on preparation, standards, and competing on the front foot. Nothing is given at this level. We have to earn everything through our habits, our mentality, and our willingness to compete. Every match is an opportunity to impose ourselves and take responsibility. This group knows what’s at stake and is ready for the challenge.”

Thirty-four CONCACAF countries have been drawn into eight groups with the pool winners qualifying for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar in November. ​Qualifying matches will be divided across six venues.

Canada has been drawn in Group G with Aruba, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica with Costa Rica hosting the Feb. 2-11 games.

The young Canadians will open Feb. 6 against the Cayman Islands before facing Aruba on Feb. 8 and Jamaica on Feb. 11.

In the previous edition of the CONCACAF Under-17 Qualifiers, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and the U.S, topped their respective groups to secure qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.

Canada defeated host Bermuda, Anguilla, Curaçao and Turks and Caicos, outscoring its opposition 28-2, with both goals conceded coming from the penalty spot.

The Canadians will be looking to build on their breakthrough showing at the 2025 FIFA tournament where they made it to the round of 32 before losing a marathon 10-round penalty shootout to tournament debutant Ireland. Canada had scored late to pull even at 1-1 and force penalties.

Canada finished runner-up to France in its group at the expanded 48-team tournament, up from 24 teams in 2023 in Indonesia. Canada scored two late goals, with the winner coming on a 98th-minute penalty, for a 2-1 win over Uganda before playing France to a scoreless draw and losing 2-1 to Chile.

Prior to the 2025 event in Qatar, the Canadian men had qualified for eight of the 19 previous editions of the FIFA tournament but failed to win a match with a 0-20-4 record. Canada had scored just 11 goals — one of which was an Argentine own goal — while conceding 70.

Canada U-17 Men’s Roster

Goalkeepers: Benjamin MacKinnon, Cavigal Nice (France); Gabriel Pandolfo, CF Montreal academy; Sam Rogers, Vancouver Whitecaps academy.

Defenders: Quinton Belfon, Toronto FC academy; Stefan Kapor, Toronto FC (MLS); Adam Louima, Escuela Futbol Huesca (Spain); Lohamba Okoko, D.C. United academy; ​Edwin Omoregbe, Toronto FC academy; Silas Schoppitsch, FK Austria Vienna (Austria); Uklrich Zamble, CF Montreal academy.

Midfielders: Eloi Breton, Eloi, CF Montreal academy; Raffi Budd, Cardiff City (Wales); Xavier Laroche, Levante UD (Spain); Vicente Lourenco, Casa Pia AC (Portugal); Raphael Pascal, CF Montreal academy; ​Connor Rickert, Marbella FC (Spain); Niko Wood, SC Heerenveen (Netherlands).

​Forwards: Tyler Brown, Vancouver Whitecaps academy; Liam Torres Cook, Castellón CD (Spain); Diago Delgado, Rio Ave FC (Portugal); Van Parker, Real Salt Lake academy;

Alternates: Leon Arkhurst, CF Montreal academy; John Chukwu, Toronto FC academy; Sasha Romanov, Toronto FC academy.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press