Derek Cornelius facts for kids
Cornelius training with Marseille in 2024
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Derek Austin Cornelius | ||
| Date of birth | 25 November 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Ajax, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Marseille | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ajax SC | |||
| 2009–2011 | Spartacus SC | ||
| 2011–2013 | Unionville Milliken SC | ||
| 2014–2016 | VfB Lübeck | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016 | VfB Lübeck | 1 | (0) |
| 2016 | VfR Neumünster | 17 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | Javor Ivanjica | 28 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 35 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | → Panetolikos (loan) | 42 | (2) |
| 2023–2024 | Malmö | 37 | (5) |
| 2024– | Marseille | 21 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018–2021 | Canada U23 | 7 | (1) |
| 2018– | Canada | 35 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 June 2025 |
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Derek Austin Cornelius (born on November 25, 1997) is a Canadian professional soccer player. He plays as a centre-back (a defender in the middle) for the French club Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1. He also plays for the Canada national team.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Soccer
Derek Cornelius was born in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. His father is from Barbados and his mother is from Jamaica. Derek started playing soccer at a very young age. When he was six, he was chosen for the Ajax Thunder under-8 team.
He quickly showed his talent. He was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Unionville Milliken Challenge Cup. Later, at the U11 level, he won the C.O.V.I. Championship and was again named MVP.
Playing in Europe
In 2012, Derek played in Spain with PFC CSKA Moscow in the Oviedo Cup. He also played in the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland with CSKA Moscow, where he scored four goals. That year, he was invited to train with CSKA Moscow's reserve team. He also scored 22 goals in 30 games in U21 Provincial and Men's Regional leagues.
In 2013, Derek was selected for the Canada national under-17 team camps. He also joined the Canada national under-16 Team for a tournament in Italy. He even had trials with clubs in Hungary.
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Germany
In January 2014, Derek moved to Germany. He trained with the VfB Lübeck U19 team. He spent two seasons with the main team. However, he could not play in official games because of FIFA rules for young players. He became eligible to play in January 2016. With VfB Lübeck, he won the Schleswig-Holstein Cup twice. He also played one game in the Regionalliga Nord.
In the summer of 2016, he moved to VfR Neumünster. He played with them for the first half of the season.
Moving to Serbia
During the winter break of the 2016–17 season, Derek joined FK Javor Ivanjica in Serbia. He made his first league appearance on April 29, 2017. His coach, Srđan Vasiljević, made an important change. He moved Derek from playing as a forward (attacker) to a centre-back (defender). This new position became his main role.
Playing in Canada: Vancouver Whitecaps
On January 18, 2019, Derek returned to Canada. He signed with MLS team Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He played his first game for the Whitecaps on March 2, 2019. He scored his first goal for the club on May 18 against Sporting Kansas City.
In July 2021, the Whitecaps loaned Derek to Panetolikos in Greece. He played there until December 2022.
Success in Sweden: Malmö FF
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In December 2022, Derek moved to Allsvenskan club Malmö FF in Sweden. He signed a contract until 2026. He played his first game for Malmö on February 19, 2023. He scored his first goal for the club on March 5, helping them win the match. His first season with Malmö was very successful. The club won the 2023 Allsvenskan league title. They also won the Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup) in 2024.
Joining Marseille in France
In August 2024, Derek Cornelius was transferred to Ligue 1 club OM in France. He signed a four-year deal. He made his debut for Marseille on August 17, 2024. He started their first match of the season against Brest.
International Career for Canada
Youth National Teams
Derek was part of the Canadian U17 camp in 2013. He was also called up to a U23 camp in January 2018. In May 2018, he played for Canada's under-21 team in the 2018 Toulon Tournament. His performance there earned him praise. At the end of 2018, he was named the Canada Soccer Youth International Player of the Year.
In March 2021, Derek was named captain of the Canadian U-23 team. He led them in the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship. He scored a goal against Honduras in the tournament.
Senior National Team
In March 2018, Derek was first called up to the Canadian senior team. He made his debut on September 9, 2018. He played the whole game in an 8–0 win against the U.S. Virgin Islands.
He was part of the 23-man squad for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In November 2022, Derek was named to Canada's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In June 2023, he was chosen for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals squad. However, he had to withdraw due to an injury and was replaced.
In June 2024, Derek was named to Canada's squad for the 2024 Copa América. He continues to be an important player for the Canadian national team.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| VfB Lübeck | 2015–16 | Regionalliga Nord | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| VfR Neumünster | 2016–17 | Oberliga Schleswig-Holstein | 17 | 2 | — | — | 17 | 2 | ||
| Javor Ivanjica | 2016–17 | Serbian SuperLiga | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Serbian First League | 3 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 13 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 | ||
| Panetolikos (loan) | 2021–22 | Super League Greece | 29 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 42 | 2 | 5 | 0 | — | 45 | 2 | |||
| Malmö FF | 2023 | Allsvenskan | 25 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 30 | 4 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | |||
| Total | 37 | 5 | 12 | 1 | — | 49 | 6 | |||
| Marseille | 2024–25 | Ligue 1 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| Career total | 179 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 203 | 11 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2018 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
VfB Lübeck
- Schleswig-Holstein Cup: 2015, 2016
Malmö FF
- Allsvenskan: 2023, 2024
- Svenska Cupen: 2023–24
Individual Awards
- CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Best XI: 2020
- Canadian Men's Youth International Player of the Year: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Derek Cornelius para niños
