VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Saturday that the club has signed Whitecaps FC BMO Academy forward Johnny Selemani to a Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) contract in MLS NEXT Pro. The 17-year-old is signed through 2027 and becomes the 15th Canadian teenager to be signed to a professional contract since WFC2 began play in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022.
Whitecaps FC 2 forward Johnny Selemani
- Joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy in August 2022 from BTB Soccer Academy
- Youngest WFC2 debutant in the club’s MLS NEXT Pro era
- One goal, one assist in MLS NEXT Pro as an amateur player in 2024 and 2025
- Has represented Canada at the U-15 and U-17 levels
“Johnny has been in our academy for several years now and continues to progress,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. “This year he has played with WFC2 from the start of the season and earned a professional contract. We look forward to working with him in the next steps of his development.”
Selemani, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, spent time playing with WFC2 as an amateur player during the 2024 and 2025 MLS NEXT Pro seasons. This season, Selemani has started 11 of his 12 appearances, recording one goal and one assist. In 2024, Selemani became the youngest WFC2 debutant in the club’s MLS NEXT Pro era (16 years, one month, five days) with his start at Tacoma Defiance. He went on to make three total appearances during the season.
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 League1 BC and MLS NEXT levels.
At the international level, Selemani has represented Canada at the U-15 and U-17 age groups. The forward was part of Canada’s roster at the Concacaf U-17 Championship earlier this year, where he started two of his three appearances and scored once en route to helping Canada to a perfect 4W-0L-0D record to secure qualification to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Johnny Selemani
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