The Canadian national women’s soccer team kicks off its 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign on June 10 against Cameroon. TSN will profile Canada’s 23 players in the 23 days leading up to their tournament opener.

REBECCA QUINN

Age: 23
Hometown: Toronto
Position:  Centre Back/Midfielder
Club: Paris FC (Division 1 Féminine France)

Rebecca Quinn is a key figure in Canada’s next generation of young players. Capable of playing at centre back or as a midfielder, Quinn won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and she is the highest drafted Canadian in NWSL history.

Quinn was 14 when she made her Canadian debut at Under-15 camp in 2010. Two years later, she played in four of Canada’s five matches at the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship. That same year, she played every minute for her country at the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Then at 18, Quinn made her first appearance for the senior team on Mar. 7, 2014, subbing into a game against Italy in the Cyprus Cup. Two months later, she earned her first start with the “A” squad in a friendly against the United States. That summer, Quinn once again played every minute for Canada at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, playing with current teammates Kadeisha Buchanan, Janine Beckie, Ashley Lawrence, Jessie Fleming, Nichelle Prince, Kailen Sheridan, and Lindsay Agnew. 

Quinn made several more appearances for Canada in 2015, but was not named to the World Cup roster. She did represent her country at the 2015 Pan American Games, playing all 90 minutes in Canada’s five matches.

The following year, Quinn scored her first international goal during Olympic qualifiers, netting a hat trick against Guatemala. She played in four of Canada’s six matches at the 2016 Rio Olympics, picking up an assist against the Germans during the group stage en route to her country winning bronze. 

The native of Toronto played for five seasons at Duke University. She and the Blue Devils made it to the NCAA Championship in 2015, losing 1-0 to Penn State. In her final year, she was named the 2017 ACC Midfielder of the Year, the first player in Duke’s history to earn the accolade. She was also a semi-finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy, given to the top NCAA soccer player.

In 2018, she was selected third overall by the Washington Spirit, becoming the highest drafted Canadian in NWSL history. Quinn made 16 appearances for Washington in her rookie season before signing with Paris FC in France’s top division earlier this year.

Quinn played a big role for Canada at World Cup qualifiers last fall. She and Ashley Lawrence were the only players to start every game for the Canadians. Quinn recorded two goals and an assist in the tournament, including scoring in Canada’s semi-final win over Panama.

Quinn has made 48 appearances for the national team and has proven to be one of Canada’s most versatile players, capable of filling in at centre back or pushing up to the midfield. She is technically sound and possesses great vision; on more than one occasion, she has exposed opposing team’s backlines by finding her teammates with a long ball out to the wings.