Edmonton forward earns first team contract after progressing through the club’s development pathway
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Saturday that the club has signed Whitecaps FC BMO Academy product and Whitecaps FC 2 forward Johnny Selemani to a contract as a Homegrown Player through the 2029-30 Major League Soccer season, with club options for the 2030-31 and 2031-32 seasons.
“Johnny has taken every step within our system to reach this point,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. “He has continued to develop at an impressive rate and is another example of our player pathway successfully bringing young talent into the first team. His maturity, combined with the familiarity he has already gained with the first team, will help him take the next step and prepare for the demands of the MLS level.”
Whitecaps FC forward Johnny Selemani
- One start, three appearances with the first team on MLS short-term agreements
- Made MLS debut at Columbus Crew on June 14, 2025
- 24 starts, 34 appearances, four goals, and three assists for WFC2 in MLS NEXT Pro
- Joined Whitecaps FC BMO Academy in August 2022 from BTB Soccer Academy
- Becomes 12th WFC2 MLS NEXT Pro player and 30th Homegrown to sign a first team contract
“I’m really grateful to Whitecaps FC for believing in me and giving me this opportunity,” added Selemani. “I’ve been with the club for a long time now, so being able to sign my first professional contract here means a lot. First of all, I want to thank Jesus Christ because without him none of this would be possible. I also want to thank the coaches, staff, and teammates who have helped me along the way, and especially my family for everything they’ve done for me. It’s a really special moment, but I know there’s still a lot of work to do and I’m excited for what’s next.”
Selemani, 18, signed with WFC2 in June 2025 and joined the first team’s preseason camp in January 2026. After recovering from a right foot fracture suffered at the end of preseason, he returned to action with the second team in July. The native of Edmonton, Alberta went on to start six of his seven appearances, recording three goals, as well as an assist. He earned MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek honours after scoring a brace in the 5-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City II on August 30.
Selemani has already spent time on the first team’s matchday roster this season, signing three MLS short-term agreements. He made his first start in the Leagues Cup home match against FC Juárez on August 7 and came off the bench at Tigres UANL on August 11 in the same competition.
In 2025, Selemani made 17 starts and 24 appearances with the second team, recording one goal and adding two assists. He also made his first team and MLS debut on a short-term agreement at Columbus Crew on June 14 as a second half substitute. Prior to signing his WFC2 contract, the forward spent time playing with the young ‘Caps as an amateur player during the 2024 and 2025 MLS NEXT Pro seasons. In total, Selemani started 24 of his 34 for WFC2 in MLS NEXT Pro, tallying four goals and three assists.
The forward originally joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy in August 2022 after previously playing with BTB Soccer Academy.
In addition, Selemani has competed with Whitecaps FC at the BC Premier League and MLS NEXT levels.
At the international level, Selemani has represented Canada at the U-15 and U-17 levels. The forward was part of Canada’s roster at last year’s Concacaf U-17 Championship, starting two of three appearances and scoring once as Canada posted a perfect 4W-0L-0D record to secure qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Selemani went on to appear in all four of Canada’s matches at the tournament in Qatar.
Selemani becomes the 12th WFC2 MLS NEXT Pro player to be signed to a first team contract, joining Ali Ahmed, Simon Becher, Levonte Johnson, Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, Jeevan Badwal, Nelson Pierre, Liam Mackenzie, Rayan Elloumi, Mark O’Neill, Nikola Djordjevic, and Mihail Gherasimencov. He is also the 30th Homegrown Player signing in club history and the seventh current first team player to come through the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy, joining Sam Adekugbe, Isaac Boehmer, Badwal, Mackenzie, Elloumi, and Gherasimencov.
TRANSACTION: On September 26, 2026, Vancouver Whitecaps FC sign forward Johnny Selemani to an MLS contract as a Homegrown Player. Selemani agrees to a contract through the 2029-30 season, with club options for 2030-31 and 2031-32.
Johnny Selemani
Pronunciation: seh-leh-MAH-nee
Position: Forward
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165 pounds
Date of Birth: March 16, 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
Citizenship: Canada
Status: Domestic
Youth Clubs: Whitecaps FC BMO Academy, BTB Soccer Academy
Instagram: @johnnyselemanii
