Concacaf Spotlight: Jonathan David in stellar scoring form across Europe | OneFootball

MIAMI. - Canada men’s national team forward Jonathan David is enjoying one of the best moments of any player in the world, with the Concacaf star recently finding the back of the net against the likes of Juventus, Olympique Lyonnais, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid.

With 11 goals overall, David is enjoying a fantastic start to the 2024/25 season with Lille OSC. He is tied for second in the top scorers table in both league and continental play, with seven goals in France’s Ligue 1 and four in the UEFA Champions League.

David’s history-making Champions League run

After tallying three goals in the 2021-22 edition, David opened his Champions League account in the current campaign with an extra-time goal at Fenerbahçe, striking a penalty in the 118' of the second leg on August 13 to seal a 3-2 win on aggregate in the third qualifying round.

Lille defeated Slavia Prague, with David scoring the opening goal of the first leg on August 20, to win 3-2 in the play-offs and advance to the league phase.

David struck a crucial penalty again in the 45+2 to score the match-winning goal in a 1-nil victory against Real Madrid on October 2. David came off the bench to hit the match-winning goal from a penalty kick in the 74’ and converted his brace in the 89’ to seal a 3-1 victory at Atletico Madrid on October 23.

The brace against Atletico Madrid saw David set a new scoring record for a Canadian player in the UEFA Champions League with six goals to pass Tomasz Radzinski’s five-goal campaign in the 2000-01 season.

David’s most recent goal in the Champions League came in the 27’ of Lille’s 1-1 home draw against Italian powerhouse Juventus on Tuesday. The goal extended his scoring streak to three consecutive UCL matches and marked his fifth goal in four games across all competitions.

One of the top scorers in Ligue 1

The 24-year-old has also played a key role in Lille’s league campaign. He found the back of the net in the 1-1 home draw against Olympique Lyonnais on November 1 and the 2-nil win at RC Lens on October 26, once again showing his composure to convert from the penalty spot with the 90+8 match-winner to take the three points on the road in the latter.

David struck his first hat trick of the campaign in a 3-nil victory at Le Havre on September 28 to spur his remarkable start and follow a match-tying penalty against Strasbourg on September 21. His other league goal came in the 90’+3 against Reims on August 17.

Year after year, David has been a staple in the scorer’s table at the end of the season. He finished sixth in 2021–22 with 15 goals, third in 2022–23 with 24 goals, and second in 2023–24 with 19 goals.

With the Canadian forward as a critical piece, Lille is currently fourth in Ligue 1 and a contender to challenge for the title. David helped Les Dogues hoist the trophy at the end of the 2020–21 season.

A talisman for Canada

The last international break allowed David to continue shining with Canada, scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 friendly victory against Panama on October 15 in Toronto. David also helped the Canucks to a historic fourth-place finish at the 2024 Copa America this past summer with goals in the nation’s opening encounter and the third-place match.

David opened his international account during the 2019–20 Concacaf Nations League qualification before becoming the top scorer and a Best XI selection at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. He also helped Canada to a runners-up place in the 2023 Concacaf Nations League Finals, earning a Best XI selection.

One of the players to watch in Concacaf, David continues to add to his résumé as one of the best players in the region. He will be a name fans will look for on Canada’s squad sheet as the nation challenges for the Concacaf Nations League, next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, and features as one of the hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.