Alphonso Davies is a global men’s soccer superstar.
But, says Port Moody author Farhan Devji, his ascent is a quintessentially Canadian success story.
The Dr. Charles Best Secondary grad is telling it in a new biography entitled Alphonso Davies: A New Hope, that’s published by ECW Press and hits bookshelves May 1.
The book is the first complete account of the journey by Davies and his family from a refugee camp in Ghana to the wintry climes of Edmonton to Burnaby where the young soccer prodigy further developed his skills at the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy program at Burnaby Central Secondary.
He then went on to the pro team where he enthralled fans at BC Place with his explosive speed, attacking instincts and creative scoring touch around the net.
In January 2019, Davies transferred to Bayern Munich in Germany’s Bundesliga, one of the most renowned teams in international soccer.
Last year, Davies scored Canada’s first goal in the sport’s World Cup after he had helped the men’s team earn its first berth in the showcase tournament since 1986.
Just 22 years old, Davies is still very much a work in progress, Devji said.
But that doesn’t make his story thus far any less compelling.
Devji first met Davies while working as a reporter, editor and content manager for the Whitecaps after he graduated journalism school in Ottawa in 2013.
But it wasn’t until the team’s communications crew was working on a documentary about its young emerging superstar that the idea of writing a book really took hold.
Through more than 50 interviews with former and current teammates, coaches, teachers, childhood friends in Edmonton, Vancouver and Munich, Devji constructed a story of resilience, determination and hard work.
He even connected with old contacts and fellow refugees at the camp in Ghana where Davies was born after his family fled a 14-year civil war in Liberia.
That’s when the true scale of the player’s achievements on the pitch and what he represents off it really hit home.
“The backstory is so inspiring,” Devji said, adding Davies’ accomplishments to this point in his life are the ultimate expression of Canada’s welcoming attitude toward immigrants and the opportunities they can find in their new home.
“It represents the very best of what Canada has to offer,” Devji said.
“Canadians are proud of our immigration history.”
Even Davies’ public demeanour as a shy, humble, respectful young man who bought his mom a car and his family a new home when he signed his big money contract with Bayern Munich is a valued Canadian trait. But as he grows ever more confident in his new skin as a soccer icon, he’s become more open to showing his vibrant side on social media platforms like TikTok.
“He has a zest for life,” Devji said of Davies. “People are drawn to him.”
The tantalizing taste of the World Cup Canadian fans achieved in Qatar last year has only whetted their appetite for more when the country co-hosts the competition in 2026, along with the United States and Mexico.
Davies will be 25 then, in the prime of his athletic abilities and hopefully a little more prepared to carry the weight of a country’s hopes on his shoulders, Devji said.
“He’ll be front and centre no doubt.”
As such, the first-time biographer expects he’ll have further opportunities to build on his subject’s remarkable story.
“His trajectory can take him wherever he wants to go,” Devji said. “It will be up to him.”
Alphonso Davies: A New Hope will be available at all popular booksellers, including Chapters, Indigo and Amazon.
A portion of the proceeds from each book sold goes to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that helped Davies and his family through its difficult time at the refugee camp in Ghana.
