Davies extends contract with Bayern into 2030
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Alphonso Davies has re-signed with Bayern Munich, ending a lengthy romance with other big-name European clubs reportedly interested in the Canada captain.
The new deal runs through June 30, 2030.
Davies' existing contract with the German powerhouse expires June 30, prompting transfer talk with the likes of Spanish giant Real Madrid as talks with Bayern dragged on.
On Tuesday, Bayern ended the chit-chat.
“Alphonso Davies has become one of the best players in the world in his position at Bayern and has attracted a lot of interest," Bayern sporting director Christopher Freund said in a statement. "The fact he wants to continue here with us shows Bayern’s status in international football and that Alphonso has found his sporting home in Munich.”
The 24-year-old from Edmonton is currently sidelined by a muscle strain in his left hamstring suffered Jan. 22 in a 3-0 Champions League loss at Feyenoord in Rotterdam.
“I am very happy to have extended my contract at this great club," Davies said. "I came to FC Bayern when I was 18 and just wanted to learn as much as possible every day to become one of the best in my position. Now I'm looking forward to another five years together. I’ve already achieved a lot here, but there’s more to come.”
Davies agreed to join Bayern for an MLS record fee in July 2018, finishing out the season with the Vancouver Whitecaps before making the move.
The Canadian fullback has already filled his trophy case at Bayern. He has won five Bundesliga titles (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023), two DFB Cups (2019, 2020), the UEFA Champions League 2020, UEFA Super Cup (2020), DFL Supercup (2020, 2021 and 2022) and FIFA Club World Cup 2020.
He has appeared in 220 games for Bayern across all competitions with 12 goals and 32 assists.
Davies has been named Canada Soccer Player of the Year four times (2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022) and CONCACAF Player of the Year twice (2021 and 2022),
He has won 56 caps for Canada with 16 goals and was a member of Canada's team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he scored Canada's first-ever goal at the men's soccer showcase in a 4-1 loss to Croatia.
Born in a refugee camp in Ghana to parents who had fled the civil war in Liberia, Davies came to Canada when he was five. And he turned heads playing soccer in Edmonton.
In July 2016, a 15-year-old Davies signed a homegrown player contract with the Whitecaps, becoming the third-youngest in history to sign an MLS deal. Two years later, the Whitecaps agreed to sell Davies to Bayern Munich in a then-record MLS deal, worth possibly in excess of US$22 million.
Davies made his German league debut in January 2019, coming on as a late substitute in his team's 4-1 win at home to VfB Stuttgart, and was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Season for 2019-20.
His speed down the flank soon had teammates comparing him to a cartoon character.
The left back was clocked at 35.3 km/h in a 2020 win over Borussia Dortmund.
"Alphonso is a player with a lot of heart and a lot of power, with extreme power," Bayern forward Thomas Muller said at the time. "Sometimes maybe he is not in the best position on the field, but he gets the opponent thinking, 'Oh, I have time, I have time,' and then, 'Meep, meep. Meep, meep.' The Road Runner, the FC Bayern Road Runner, comes and steals the ball."
Davies signed his existing contract with Bayern in April 2020.
"We are happy that he will remain with FC Bayern in the long term." CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said at the time. "He delights our fans not only with the way he plays, but also with the way he is off the pitch."
Davies was sidelined in December 2021 after developing symptoms of myocarditis, a mild heart condition, following a bout of COVID-19. The illness kept him out of Canada's final six CONCACAF World Cup qualifying matches.
He returned in April 2022.
Davies was just 16 when he made his senior debut for Canada in June 2017 against Curaçao, becoming the youngest men's player in Canadian team history. He had obtained his Canadian citizenship the week before.
Davies scored twice in his next national team outing, a 4-2 win over French Guiana at the 2017 Gold Cup, where he won the Golden Boot Award as leading scorer and the Best Young Player Award as well as being named to the tournament's Best XI.
In June 2018, he opened Canada's presentation to the FIFA Council in Moscow as part the joint North American bid, along with the United States and Mexico, to host the 2026 World Cup.
"The people of North America have always welcomed me. If given the opportunity, I know they will welcome you," he told delegates.