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Brampton, Ont. high school alumni represents for Canada at FIFA World Cup

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As Canadians come together to cheer on the men’s national team, one high school northwest of Toronto can say that three of the footballers playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup are its own.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for them. They’ve been looking forward to this for a very long time," Greg Spagnoli, soccer coach at Brampton, Ont.’s St. Edmund Campion Secondary School, told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday.

Jonathan Osorio, Cyle Larin, and Tajon Buchanan all played for the St. Edmund Bears at one point before representing Canada at the international level in Qatar.

The alumni made history Wednesday as part of Canada’s first World Cup appearance in 36 years.

Before hitting the international stage, the three former Brampton high school students made names for themselves locally. Each won an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championship during their time at St. Edmund. Osorio, the oldest of the trio, was the first to claim the title as captain of the 2009 squad.

The school would go on to win five provincial titles over the next 13 years.

“I think there were some signs of brilliance, a bit more understanding of the game at their age early on, and the rest I guess you could say is history,” Spagnoli said of their success on the soccer field.

Canada's Tajon Buchanan, right, controls the ball ahead of Belgium's Yannick Carrasco during the World Cup group F soccer match between Belgium and Canada, at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

All told, of the 26 players on the national roster in Qatar, at least seven were either born, raised, or developed in Brampton.

Belgium beat Canada 1-0 in its first match. The team will go on to play Croatia in the group stage on Nov. 27 and Morocco on Dec. 1.

With files from Rahim Ladhani

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