Alphonso Davies scores new endorsement deal ahead of FIFA World Cup
It was June 6, 2015.
A 14-year-old Alphonso Davies sat in the crowd at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium watching Canada’s opening match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup against China.
Davies recalls the stadium being packed. The atmosphere was electric. It was a day, he said, that changed the way he viewed the popularity of soccer in Canada.
Eleven years later, Davies is ready to have his moment. The 25-year-old from Edmonton has become the face of Canadian soccer and transformed the men’s program from an afterthought to a respected North American squad heading into a home FIFA World Cup.
As Canada prepares to welcome the world, Davies is also joining some elite company off the field.
The Bayern Munich star has partnered with McDonald’s for the company’s FIFA World Cup collectible cup campaign, appearing alongside global soccer icons David Beckham and Ronaldinho.
Canada’s captain, Alphonso Davies, is one of seven cups fans can collect with the purchase of a FIFA World Cup Meal. (McDonald’s Canada)
“I’m very happy to be a part of this campaign alongside two legends,” Davies told Daily Hive. “They are both incredible playmakers, and I was a fan of both players growing up.”
Even after becoming one of the biggest rising stars on the planet, Davies admits he’s still not used to seeing his face everywhere.
Whether it’s a billboard, a commercial, or now a McDonald’s cup, the 25-year-old says friends from Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto regularly send him photos whenever they spot his face.
The endorsement deal is a full-circle moment for Davies, tying together post-training memories and a job application.
“I remember my agent used to take his son and me to McDonald’s after training, and I’d always get a Big Mac meal,” Davies said with a laugh. “It was my go-to.”
Davies also once applied for a job at a McDonald’s in Edmonton as a teenager and never got a call back.
Now, less than a decade later, Davies is helping headline one of the company’s largest campaigns alongside some of the greatest players in FIFA World Cup history as Canada prepares to host the tournament – one Davies pitched for eight years ago.
Davies says his go-to order growing up was the Big Mac meal. (McDonald’s Canada)
Back in 2018, Davies addressed the FIFA Congress as part of Canada’s successful World Cup bid. Then, just 18 years old, he shared his story of being born in a refugee camp in Ghana before immigrating to Canada with his family and eventually settling in Edmonton.
Davies admitted to Daily Hive that he was skeptical about doing the speech at first.
“I was an 18-year-old kid and very shy and nervous,” he said. “I didn’t fully understand what was going on, but I’m glad I went. Once I started telling my story, I instantly felt comfortable.”
Davies referred to himself as “a little kid” in the video.
“It’s hard to believe a home World Cup is under two weeks away,” he said. “Looking back on that moment is so surreal.”
Since Davies made his national team debut with Canada in 2017, his talent and skill have changed the trajectory of the men’s national team program.
Canada enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup ranked 30th in the world, which is a huge shift from where the team was ranked in the 100s when Davies first arrived.
Davies believes having a home World Cup will help fuel the next generation of soccer superstars, just as he was inspired by that night in Edmonton 11 years ago.
“I think more kids will see us and be inspired,” says Davies.
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Beginning June 9, fans can collect all seven FIFA World Cup collectible cups with the purchase of a FIFA World Cup Meal at any participating McDonald’s restaurant.
The lineup features Davies alongside England’s David Beckham, Brazil’s Ronaldinho, France’s Thierry Henry, South Korea’s Son Heung-min, Spain’s Lamine Yamal, and, of course, McDonald’s own certified legend, Grimace.