Stephen Eustáquio and Jessie Fleming named Canada Soccer’s 2023 Players of the Year

Stephen Eustáquio and Jessie Fleming have been named the 2023 Canada Soccer Players of the Year as voted by Canadian coaches and media. The duo were named the top players in the nation based on their performances for both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams as well as their respective professional clubs FC Porto and Chelsea FC.

Eustáquio is a first-time winner while Fleming has now won the award three years in a row. Earlier this week as part of Canada Soccer’s 2023 Player Awards, Ismaël Koné and Jade Rose were named the Young Players of the Year, Samuel Charron was named the Para Soccer Player of the Year, and Safwane Mlah was named the Futsal Player of the Year.

Stephen Eustáquio scored a goal and an assist in six Canada matches in 2023, including a second-place finish at the 2022-23 Concacaf Nations League Finals. He scored the match winner in Canada’s first away win in Jamaica in 35 years in November. At the club level from January through November 2023 with FC Porto, he made 41 appearances, played 2,732 minutes, scored five goals and got two assists. He helped FC Porto finish second in the 2022-23 Primeira Liga and reach the Round of 16 in 2022-23 UEFA Champions League.

Eustáquio, who got his start with Leamington Minor Soccer in Ontario, has made 34 career international appearances as a midfielder for Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team including a first-place finish in the 2021-22 Concacaf Final Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and two appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In December he helped FC Porto reach the knockout phase of 2023-24 UEFA Champions League.

Jessie Fleming featured in her third FIFA World Cup in 2023 and she captained Canada to yet another qualification to the Olympic Games. She featured in 12 of Canada’s 13 matches and had one assist. At the club level from January to November 2023, she made 32 appearances, played 1,588 minutes and scored two goals with Chelsea FC. She won the 2022-23 FA Super League, the 2023 FA Cup and reached the Semifinals in 2022-23 UEFA Champions League.

Olympic champion Fleming, who got her start with London NorWest Optimist SC in Ontario, has made 123 career international appearances for Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team since 2013. She won an Olympic Bronze Medal in 2016 and an Olympic Gold Medal in 2021. She helped Chelsea FC reach the UEFA Champions League Final in 2020-21.

In the coming week, Canada Soccer will announce the 2023 winner of the annual Allstate Canadian National Teams Good Hands Award, recognising the top save by Canada’s National Team goalkeepers during international play as voted by fans. New this year, fans will have the opportunity to vote on both a Men’s National Team Moment of the Year and a Women’s National Team Moment of the Year, with voting to launch later this month and the Top Moments to be announced at the end of the year.

In the vote for Men’s National Team players, Eustáquio finished first ahead of runner-up Alphonso Davies and top-five finishers Jonathan David, Alistair Johnston and Koné. In the vote for Women’s National Team players, Fleming finished first ahead of runner-up Cloé Lacasse and top-five finishers Ashley Lawrence, Vanessa Gilles and Adriana Leon.