Ricardo Ferreira will represent
\u200bCanada starting in 2021 after his change of national associations was approved.
\u200bFerreira joins Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Program ahead of an exciting
\u200band full 2021 international calendar that features FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™
\u200bQualifiers starting in March 2021.
“We have worked hard to build the trust in Canada Soccer’s
\u200bMen’s National Team Program through our performances on the field and work off
\u200bthe field,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach.
\u200b“Ricardo Ferreira is a modern centre back who has played at good levels in
\u200bEurope, so we look forward to adding his experience to the Men’s National Team
\u200bProgram in 2021.”
Ferreira, a right-footed centre back, most recently played for SC Farense in Portugal. He is a former Portugal Cup winner with SC Braga and has played professional football in both Italy and Portugal. He also helped SC Braga reach the Quarter-Final stage of UEFA Europa League in 2015-16. At the international level, he represented Portugal at the youth level from 2008 to 2012 and made one appearance at the international “A” level in a 2017 friendly match.
Before moving to Portugal, Ferreira of Mississauga, Ontario
\u200bplayed for Dixie SC, Brampton YSC and TFC Academy. He won the Canada Soccer
\u200bU-14 Cup with Brampton Blast in 2006 and took part in Canada Soccer’s National
\u200bTraining Centre in Vaughan, Ontario. He also played for Ontario’s youth select
\u200bteams.
Ferreira is the latest player to switch national
\u200bassociations to represent Canada at the international level. Since 2018, other
\u200bplayers that have chosen to represent Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team
\u200binclude Theo Corbeanu , Stephen Eustáquio,
\u200bCristián Gutiérrez, Frank Sturing and David Wotherspoon. In all, 21 different
\u200bplayers have made their international “A” debut for Canada since 2018 including
\u200byoungsters Zachary Brault-Guillard, Derek Cornelius, Jonathan David, Liam
\u200bFraser, Liam Millar, Jayden Nelson and Ballou Tabla.
As part of a busy 2021 international calendar, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are scheduled to face Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Suriname in an initial round of four matches in FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Qualifiers in March and June. Also in March, Canada Soccer’s Men’s U-23 National Team will compete in the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying in Guadalajara, Mexico. In July, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team are scheduled to compete in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup with group stage matches against Martinique, USA and a yet-to-be determined third opponent.