Coquitlam teen gets called up to Canadian women’s national soccer team
One teenager from Coquitlam is having her soccer dreams come true. Jeneva Hernandez Gray has been called up to the Canadian women’s national team at just 17 years old.
The Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy midfielder will be on the roster for two upcoming matches in BC against Australia on December 1 and 5.
.@CANWNT Roster Announced ahead of Australia Friendlies in BC 🍁
Canada Soccer will honour Olympic champions Erin McLeod, Sophie Schmidt and Christine Sinclair as part of the home match festivities at Vancouver’s BC Place on 5 December 2023.@CANWNT x @CIBC pic.twitter.com/r1TZcD7TVq
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) November 23, 2023
Hernandez Gray has represented Canada at a variety of other levels in the past, including at the 2022 FIFA U-17 World Cup and in 2024 FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifying. She made her Canada debut back in 2021 when she was just 15 years old.
In 20 total games for Canada, she has managed to score two goals and add six assists.
Despite still being a teenager, Hernandez Gray has already built quite an impressive resume. She assisted on the winning goal in this year’s League1BC final and scored the winning goal the year before that, showing a tendency to turn up in big moments.
If there's one Canadian player to watch at the U17 Women's World Cup, it's Jeneva Hernandez Gray.
She starred in League 1 BC this summer and was one of the best players against much more mature opposition.
She also scored THIS in the final. pic.twitter.com/NmQwUCz5HK
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) October 12, 2022
She also was recently recognized with the 2023 Whitecaps FC Female Most Promising Player title. Hernandez Gray will be attending Auburn University next year.
The friendly against Australia on December 5 will also be the last game that longtime Canadian soccer legend Christine Sinclair plays for the national team. The superstar BC native announced her retirement from the national team earlier this year.
BC Place will have the upper bowl open to accommodate the demand for this game as more than 60% of available tickets have already sold out.
The Australian women’s national team is currently ranked 11th in the world, one spot behind Canada. The first of the two friendlies will be held at Starlight Stadium in Langford before the action moves to BC Place in Vancouver for the game on December 5.
The youngest player to ever play for the senior Canadian women’s national team is Olivia Smith, who debuted at 15 years and 94 days old in 2019. Smith is on the roster for the two upcoming matches against Australia.