Vancouver Whitecaps FC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vancouver Whitecaps

Nickname(s)	Blue-and-White The Village Caps
Founded	December 11, 1973; 51 years ago (1973-12-11)
Stadium	BC Place, Vancouver
Stadium capacity	54,313
Owners	Greg Kerfoot Steve Luczo Jeff Mallett Steve Nash
Chairman	Jeff Mallett
Sporting director	Axel Schuster
Coach	Jesper Sørensen
League	Major League Soccer
2025	Western Conference: 2nd Overall: 5th Playoffs: Runners-up
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a professional soccer team from Vancouver, Canada. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Western Conference. The club first started on December 11, 1973. They played their first season in 1974. The current MLS team began in 2011. It was the 17th team to join Major League Soccer. This team continued the legacy of earlier Vancouver Whitecaps teams.

The Whitecaps made history in 2012. They became the first Canadian team to reach the MLS Cup playoffs. The club has won five Canadian Championships. In 2025, they reached both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and MLS Cup finals. They lost to Cruz Azul and Inter Miami in those finals. The Whitecaps also compete for the Cascadia Cup. This is a special trophy against their rivals, Seattle and Portland.

In 2025, the Whitecaps signed German superstar Thomas Müller. He was a winner of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Other famous players include Jay DeMerit, the team's first captain. Camilo Sanvezzo won the 2013 MLS Golden Boot. Alphonso Davies, a Canadian national team captain, also played for the Whitecaps.

Club History: A Journey in Soccer

The Vancouver Whitecaps joined Major League Soccer on March 18, 2009. They kept the "Whitecaps" name, first used in 1974. Fans quickly showed their support. The team sold 5,000 season ticket deposits in just two days.

Early MLS Seasons and First Playoff Appearance

The Whitecaps played their first MLS game on March 19, 2011. They won 4–2 against fellow Canadian team Toronto FC. Eric Hassli scored the first MLS goal for the Whitecaps. After a tough start, the team improved. In 2012, they won a pre-season cup. Later that year, they became the first Canadian team to qualify for the MLS playoffs. They finished fifth in their conference.

In 2013, the team did not make the playoffs. A player named Camilo had a transfer issue. He moved to a Mexican club, Querétaro, after some contract discussions. The clubs resolved the issue with a transfer fee.

Reaching New Heights: Championships and International Play

The Whitecaps qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League in 2014. This was their first time in this big international tournament. They also made the MLS playoffs for the second time. In 2015, they had their best regular season ever. They also won their first Canadian Championship. They beat Montreal 4–2 over two games. However, they were eliminated early in the Champions League and MLS playoffs that year.

In 2016, the Whitecaps won the Cascadia Cup. They beat the Portland Timbers 4–1 in the final game. The 2017 season saw them reach the CONCACAF Champions League semi-finals. They were eliminated by Tigres UANL. They also won their first-ever MLS playoff game.

Challenges and Comebacks

The team faced challenges in 2018 and 2019. They missed the playoffs in both seasons. Key players like Alphonso Davies left the team. In 2019, they were also knocked out of the 2019 Canadian Championship by a Canadian Premier League team.

The 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. MLS suspended games, and the Whitecaps played some home matches in the United States. They missed the playoffs for the third year in a row.

In 2021, the Whitecaps had a great comeback. They went unbeaten in 12 of their last 14 games. This helped them make the playoffs for the first time in four years. They were eliminated in the first round.

Recent Successes and Historic Finals

The Whitecaps won the 2022 Canadian Championship. This was their second time winning the trophy. This win also qualified them for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. In 2023, they reached the Champions League quarterfinals. They also won the 2023 Canadian Championship for the third time.

In 2024, the Whitecaps won their third consecutive Canadian Championship. They beat Toronto FC in a penalty shootout. This qualified them for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The 2025 season was historic. The Whitecaps had an amazing run in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. They defeated teams like Saprissa, CF Monterrey, and UNAM. They then beat Inter Miami CF, a team with Lionel Messi, 5-1 to reach their first-ever Champions Cup final. They played against Cruz Azul in Mexico City, losing 5-0.

On October 1, 2025, the Whitecaps won their fourth consecutive 2025 Canadian Championship Final. They defeated Vancouver FC 4–2 at BC Place. Ali Ahmed was named MVP. Thomas Müller scored his 300th career goal. Captain Ryan Gauld also scored in the final.

Team Colors and Badge

On June 8, 2010, the club announced it would keep the "Whitecaps" name. They also revealed a new logo. The name "Whitecaps" refers to Vancouver's natural beauty. This includes the snow-capped mountains and the white-capped waves of the Pacific Ocean.

The team's official colors are navy blue ("deep sea"), white, and light blue ("Whitecaps blue"). The "deep sea" blue represents Vancouver's ocean landscape. The "Whitecaps blue" shows the mountains reflected in the Pacific. This lighter blue also honors the original Whitecaps team from 1979. A silver outline on the badge celebrates the team's championship wins.

The team's first jersey sponsor was Bell Canada. The home shirt is white with navy blue stripes. The away shirt is deep blue with a diamond pattern. In 2012, a third kit was introduced. It was "arbutus brown" with sky blue accents. This reflected British Columbia's rainforests. In 2019, they wore a special jersey. It was a tribute to their 1979 championship win. In 2023, the "Bloodlines Jersey" supported Canadian Blood Services. The 2024 "50 Jersey" celebrated the club's 50th anniversary.

Kit history

Home, away, and third kits.

• Home

2011–12

2013–14

2015–16

2017–18

2019–20

2021–22

2023–24

2025–

• Away

2011–13

2014–15

2016–17

2018–19

2020–21

2022–23

2024–

• Third

2012–2013

2025

Sponsorship

Home Stadium: BC Place

White sheets are used to artificially reduce the capacity of BC Place for most Whitecaps FC matches.

Marquee matches use both the upper and lower bowls.

Exterior view of BC Place, 2019.

The Whitecaps play their home games at BC Place in Vancouver. They share this stadium with the BC Lions football team. BC Place opened in 1983 and can hold 54,500 people. It has a special retractable roof, which is the world's largest cable-supported one. For most Whitecaps games, parts of the stadium are closed off. This makes the capacity around 22,120 seats. The field is made of polytan artificial turf, which is approved by FIFA.

The National Soccer Development Centre on the grounds of the University of British Columbia

The club played its first MLS season at Empire Field. This was a temporary stadium built while BC Place was being renovated. Empire Field had 27,500 seats. The Whitecaps played their first game at the newly renovated BC Place on October 2, 2011.

The Whitecaps also have a training center. It is called the National Soccer Development Centre. It opened in 2017 on the University of British Columbia campus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team played some home games in the United States. This was due to travel restrictions. In April 2025, the Whitecaps and the City of Vancouver had talks about building a new stadium at Hastings Park.

Club Culture and Fan Support

Supporters

Vancouver Southsiders, one of the Whitecaps supporters groups.

The biggest fan group for the Whitecaps is called the Southsiders. They started in 1999. They gather behind the goal at the south end of the stadium. The Southsiders work closely with the team. They are often featured in Whitecaps marketing.

Other fan groups include Curva Collective and the Rain City Brigade. Curva Collective focuses on visual displays. Rain City Brigade was formed in 2010. Vancouver Albion is North America's first all-youth supporter group. The Prawnsiders are another group, known for sitting in more expensive seats. South Sisters is a group for female, LGBTQ2+, and allied supporters. Couch Ultras organize special displays at BC Place.

In 2020, a new general admission section was created. It is called the Village Stand. Many Southsiders and Curva Collective members sit here. Fans can stand and chant throughout the game in this section.

Mascot

The Whitecaps' official mascot is Spike. Spike is a Belted kingfisher. This bird is common in the Vancouver area.

Exciting Rivalries

Cascadia Cup

The Vancouver Whitecaps have strong rivalries with the Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders FC. These rivalries started long before MLS. They are a big part of soccer in the Pacific Northwest. Games between these three teams are very exciting.

Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers are a major rival. Their history goes back to 1975. They often played in important and physical matches. This rivalry is one of the longest in US soccer.

Seattle Sounders FC

The rivalry with Seattle Sounders FC also began in the 1970s. It has continued through many different leagues. The teams have played over 160 times.

Canadian Rivalries

The Whitecaps also have rivalries with Toronto FC and CF Montreal. The first MLS game for Vancouver was against Toronto. This helped create a rivalry between the Canadian teams. These three teams often play for the Voyageurs Cup.

Broadcasting Games

Whitecaps matches are shown on television and radio. TSN streams all regular season games. Blake Price does the play-by-play. Paul Dolan provides color commentary. On radio, games are broadcast on CKNW.com.

Club Ownership

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC is owned by four investors. These are Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett, and Steve Nash. Their combined wealth is over $2 billion. Greg Kerfoot has been the main owner since 2002. Jeff Mallett, a former Yahoo! executive, grew up in Victoria. He also owns parts of other sports teams. Steve Nash, a famous basketball player, also grew up in Victoria. He is the older brother of former Whitecaps player Martin Nash. Steve Luczo is a business leader. He met Kerfoot while they both worked at Seagate Technology. In 2009, the group paid $35 million to join MLS. In 2023, the club was valued at $410 million.

Current Players and Staff

For details on former players, see All-time Vancouver Whitecaps FC roster.

Roster

No. Position Player 1 GK Takaoka, YoheiYohei Takaoka 2 DF Laborda, MathíasMathías Laborda 3 DF Adekugbe, SamSam Adekugbe 4 DF Veselinović, RankoRanko Veselinović (vice-captain) 6 MF Priso, RalphRalph Priso 7 FW Nelson, JaydenJayden Nelson 11 FW Sabbi, EmmanuelEmmanuel Sabbi 12 DF Halbouni, BelalBelal Halbouni 13 MF Müller, ThomasThomas Müller 14 FW Ríos, DanielDaniel Ríos (on loan from Guadalajara) 15 MF Schonlau, SebastianSebastian Schonlau 16 MF Berhalter, SebastianSebastian Berhalter 17 MF Cabrera, KenjiKenji Cabrera 18 DF Ocampo, ÉdierÉdier Ocampo 20 MF Cubas, AndrésAndrés Cubas (DP)

No. Position Player 22 MF Ahmed, AliAli Ahmed (HG) 23 DF Pupe, JoedrickJoedrick Pupe 24 FW White, BrianBrian White 25 MF Gauld, RyanRyan Gauld (captain; DP) 26 MF Ngando, J.C.J.C. Ngando 27 DF Bovalina, GiuseppeGiuseppe Bovalina 28 DF Johnson, TateTate Johnson (GA) 30 GK Zendejas, AdrianAdrian Zendejas 32 GK Boehmer, IsaacIsaac Boehmer (HG) 33 DF Blackmon, TristanTristan Blackmon 42 FW Pierre, NelsonNelson Pierre 53 DF O'Neill, MarkMark O'Neill 59 MF Badwal, JeevanJeevan Badwal (HG) 75 FW Elloumi, RayanRayan Elloumi (HG) 97 MF Mackenzie, LiamLiam Mackenzie (HG)

Out on loan

No. Position Player 50 GK Anchor, MaxMax Anchor (HG; on loan to Pacific FC) 52 FW Fleuriau Chateau, NicolasNicolas Fleuriau Chateau (on loan to VPS)

Technical staff

Role	Name	Nation
Head coach	Sørensen, JesperJesper Sørensen	Denmark
Assistant coach	Shaw, BrendanBrendan Shaw	Ireland
Assistant coach	D'Agostino, MichaelMichael D'Agostino	Canada
Goalkeeper coach	Dahha, YoussefYoussef Dahha	Morocco
First team video analyst	Foster, DrewDrew Foster	Canada
First team assistant video analyst	Grieve, JamesJames Grieve	Scotland
Head of Physical Preparation	Poli, JonathanJonathan Poli	Canada
Manager of Sport Analytics	Chevallier, BryceBryce Chevallier	Canada
Team Physician	Dr. Jim Bovard	Canada

Executive leadership

Role	Name	Nation
Chief Executive Officer & Sporting Director	Schuster, AxelAxel Schuster	Germany
Chief Administrative Officer	Deol, ManavManav Deol	Canada
Chief Commercial Officer	Bhatt, AditiAditi Bhatt	United States
Chief Financial Officer	Abbate, LisaLisa Abbate	Canada
Technical Director	Thompson, QuinnQuinn Thompson	Canada

Former Players and Staff

Head coaches

Years	Name	Nation
September 1, 2010 – May 30, 2011	Thordarson, TeiturTeitur Thordarson	Iceland
May 30, 2011 – October 25, 2011	Soehn, TomTom Soehn (interim)	United States
October 26, 2011 – October 29, 2013	Rennie, MartinMartin Rennie	Scotland
December 16, 2013 – September 25, 2018	Robinson, CarlCarl Robinson	Wales
September 25, 2018 – November 7, 2018	Dalrymple, CraigCraig Dalrymple (interim)	England
November 7, 2018 – August 27, 2021	Dos Santos, MarcMarc Dos Santos	Canada
August 27, 2021 – November 30, 2021	Sartini, VanniVanni Sartini (interim)	Italy
November 30, 2021 – November 26, 2024	Sartini, VanniVanni Sartini	Italy
January 14, 2025 –	Sørensen, JesperJesper Sørensen	Denmark

Club captains

Years	Name	Nation
2011–2014	Jay DeMerit	United States
2014–2016	Pedro Morales	Chile
2016–2017	David Ousted	Denmark
2017–2018	Kendall Waston	Costa Rica
2019	Jon Erice	Spain
2020–2023	Russell Teibert	Canada
2024–	Ryan Gauld	Scotland

Affiliated Teams and Youth Programs

Whitecaps FC 2

Whitecaps FC 2 is the club's reserve team. They play in the MLS Next Pro league, which started in 2022. This team helps younger players develop their skills.

Vancouver Rise FC

Vancouver Rise FC is a women's soccer club. They play in the Northern Super League, Canada's top women's league. The Rise team was created to help female players from the Whitecaps' academy continue their careers. It also aims to create equal opportunities for men's and women's soccer programs.

Whitecaps FC Academy

The Whitecaps FC Academy is the club's youth development system. It was started in 2007. The academy has both boys' and girls' teams. They play in League1 British Columbia.

Former Teams

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (women)

The Whitecaps organization used to have a women's team. They played in the USL W-League from 2001 to 2012. The team won the W-League championship twice, in 2004 and 2006. After 2012, the Whitecaps started a new youth development program for girls. This program was in partnership with B.C. Soccer and Canada Soccer.

Fresno FC

From 2018 to 2019, the Whitecaps had a partnership with Fresno FC. This was a team in the USL league. The partnership ended when Fresno FC stopped playing in 2019.

Club Honours and Achievements

Team Trophies

Player Awards

Golden Boot

Top scorer by season

Year	Player	Goals
2011	Camilo	12
2012	Darren Mattocks	7
2013	Camilo	22
2014	Pedro Morales	10
2015	Octavio Rivero	10
2016	Pedro Morales	9
2017	Fredy Montero	13
2018	Kei Kamara	14
2019	Fredy Montero	8
2020	Lucas Cavallini	6
2021	Brian White	12
2022	Lucas Cavallini	9
2023	Brian White	15
2024	Brian White	15
2025	Brian White	16

Note: Only MLS regular season goals counted

Player of the Year

Year	Name	Nation
2011	Camilo	Brazil
2012	Lee Young-Pyo	South Korea
2013	Camilo	Brazil
2014	Pedro Morales	Chile
2015	Kendall Waston	Costa Rica
2016	Jordan Harvey	United States
2017	Kendall Waston	Costa Rica
2018	Alphonso Davies	Canada
2019	Maxime Crépeau	Canada
2020	Ali Adnan	Iraq
2021	Maxime Crépeau	Canada
2022	Ryan Gauld	Scotland
2023	Ryan Gauld	Scotland
2024	Ryan Gauld	Scotland
2025	Sebastian Berhalter	United States

Additional Honours

Team Records

Year-by-year

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Whitecaps. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Vancouver Whitecaps FC seasons. For a historical list encompassing results from the previous two incarnations of the club, see History of Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

List of Vancouver Whitecaps FC records and statistics

International tournaments

CONCACAF Champions Cup

Vancouver has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup four times, the first in the 2015–16 edition of the tournament. List of Vancouver Whitecaps FC records and statistics

CONCACAF Champions Cup history
First match	Whitecaps FC 1–1 Seattle Sounders FC (August 5, 2015; Vancouver, Canada)
Biggest win	Whitecaps FC 5–0 Real España (March 8, 2023; Vancouver, Canada)
Biggest defeats	Seattle Sounders FC 3–0 Whitecaps FC (September 23, 2015; Seattle, United States) Whitecaps FC 0–3 Los Angeles FC (April 5, 2023; Vancouver, Canada) Los Angeles FC 3–0 Whitecaps FC (April 11, 2023; Los Angeles, United States) UANL 3–0 Whitecaps FC (February 14, 2024; San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico)
Best result	Runners-up in 2025
Worst result	Group stage (3rd in group) in 2015–16

Other competitions

• 2011 World Football Challenge

Group stage vs. Manchester City – 1–2

Player Records

Appearances

Rank	Pos.	Player	Nation	Career	MLS	Playoffs	CC	CCL	LC	MIB	Total
1	Midfielder	Teibert, RussellRussell Teibert	Canada	2011–23	250	2	32	10	2	4	300
2	Defender	Harvey, JordanJordan Harvey	United States	2011–17	179	5	12	4	–	–	200
	Defender	Veselinović, RankoRanko Veselinović	Serbia	2020–	158	6	13	14	5	4	200
4	Forward	White, BrianBrian White	United States	2021–	136	9	14	15	6	–	180
5	Defender	Nerwinski, JakeJake Nerwinski	United States	2017–23	138	4	11	2	–	4	159
6	Midfielder	Koffie, GershonGershon Koffie	Ghana	2011–15	134	4	13	1	–	–	152
7	Goalkeeper	Ousted, DavidDavid Ousted	Denmark	2013–17	142	3	2	4	–	–	151
8	Midfielder	Gauld, RyanRyan Gauld	Scotland	2021–	114	11	12	8	3	–	148
	Midfielder	Berhalter, SebastianSebastian Berhalter	United States	2022–	106	9	14	14	5	–	148
	Midfielder	Raposo, RyanRyan Raposo	Canada	2020–24	119	3	12	6	5	3	148

Goals

Rank	Pos.	Player	Nation	Career	MLS	Playoffs	CC	CCL	LC	Total
1	Forward	, Brian WhiteBrian White	United States	2021–	42	1	4	2	1	50
2	Forward	Sanvezzo, CamiloCamilo	Brazil	2011–13	39	–	4	–	–	43
3	Midfielder	Gauld, RyanRyan Gauld	Scotland	2021–	32	0	5	0	0	37
4	Midfielder	, Pedro MoralesPedro Morales	Chile	2014–16	25	0	4	0	–	29
	Midfielder	Techera, CristianCristian Techera	Uruguay	2015–18	23	1	0	5	–	29
6	Forward	Montero, FredyFredy Montero	Colombia	2017, 2019–20	26	1	0	1	–	28
7	Forward	Manneh, KekutaKekuta Manneh	Gambia	2013–17	22	0	1	1	–	24
8	Forward	Darren Mattocks, Darren Mattocks	Jamaica	2012–15	19	1	2	0	–	22
9	Forward	Reyna, YordyYordy Reyna	Peru	2017–20	20	0	1	–	–	21
10	Forward	Cavallini, LucasLucas Cavallini	Canada	2020–2022	18	0	0	–	–	18

As of September 14, 2024

Clean Sheets

Rank	Player	Nation	Career	MLS	Playoffs	CC	CCL	LC	MIB	Total
1	David Ousted	Denmark	2013-2018	43	1	1	1	–	–	46
2	Yohei Takaoka	Japan	2023-	28	3	1	3	0	–	35
3	Joe Cannon	United States	2010-2014	13	–	0	–	–	–	13
	Maxime Crépeau	Canada	2018-2022	12	0	1	–	–	0	13
5	Brad Knighton	United States	2012-2013	7	0	3	–	–	–	10
6	Thomas Hasal	Canada	2019-2024	6	–	–	0	–	2	8
7	Cody Cropper	United States	2022-2023	5	–	1	–	–	–	6
	Stefan Marinovic	New Zealand	2017-2019	3	2	1	–	–	–	6
9	Isaac Boehmer	Canada	2021-	1	–	4	0	0	–	5
10	Paolo Tornaghi	Italy	2014-2017	1	–	1	2	–	–	4

As of December 1, 2025

CC = Canadian Championship; CCL = CONCACAF Champions League; MIB = MLS is Back Tournament

Bolded players are currently on the Whitecaps FC roster.

See also

In Spanish: Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club para niños