PLAYER PROFILE – Nathan Saliba, who was born on February 7, 2004, is a midfielder from Longueuil, Québec, Canada.
Nathan Saliba: A CANMNT Midfielder That Should Excite Canadians
Childhood
Nathan Saliba’s parents are Haitian immigrants; his father, Claude Richard Saliba, was born in Cayes, Haiti, while his mother, Ginou Georges, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Saliba grew up playing soccer and basketball, as well as enjoying swimming and playing video games. Also, Saliba’s role models include Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, as he supports teams such as Manchester City FC and FC Barcelona.
Source: Canada Soccer
Saliba talked about his journey with soccer at a very young age, as he said this (Source: Chevrolet Canada YouTube Account):
“Soccer has been in my life since I was young. My older brother played soccer, and my dad played when he was young in Haiti,” Saliba said. “Growing up in my family, soccer was always present.”
CF Montréal (2020-25)
Saliba’s first professional team was with his province’s own local club, the Montreal Impact, which was later renamed CF Montréal in 2021.
He was with the team for a fairly long time, playing 68 games and scoring two goals for CF Montréal, as well as scoring four goals in seven appearances for the CF Montréal U23 team.
When Saliba scored his first goal for the club, it was a watershed moment for him, as he said this (Source: Chevrolet Canada YouTube Account):
He made a name for himself with the club, as he was named to the MLS 22 Under 22 list and was nominated for the MLS Young Player of the Year award (Source: Tom Nightingale of the Canadian Soccer Daily).
There are also some key players that had high praise for him. Samuel Piette, long-time CF Montréal captain and well-known CANMNT midfielder, said this about Saliba (Source: Canadian Soccer Daily):
“Every time he went out on the pitch, he delivered.”
Saliba also talked about the players he learned from (Source: Major League Soccer YouTube Account):
“I learnt a lot from the veterans. Thierry Henry, being a coach, I remember him being very strict when it came to passing quality.” Saliba said. “There was Samuel Piette as well, who is still here and helping me today.”
He is a key player and one who has made an impression in the international soccer scene. He recently signed a deal with Belgian first-division club R.S.C. Anderlecht on Thursday. This is what CF Montréal executive Luca Saputo said about the deal (Source: Canadian Press):
“We are very proud of Nathan’s progression over the last few years,” said CF Montréal executive Saputo in a statement. “Despite his young age, he has established himself as a starter and leader on the team, which has also allowed him to earn a spot with the national team.
Speaking of the national team, Saliba has played limited games for Canada. However, in his short time with them, he has already scored two international goals.
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CANMNT (2024-Present)
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Saliba has not played many games for the CANMNT. Still, he has already scored two goals and is playing well, with both goals being scored at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup. He also converted his penalty in the penalty shoot-out in the quarterfinal loss to Guatemala.
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In Thomas Hewitt’s article for the Canadian Soccer Daily, CANMNT head coach Jesse Marsch had this to say about it:
“I would fault my management of Nathan over the last year and say that I really believed in him from the moment I started watching him at Montréal,” Marsch said this week. “The fact that we didn’t bring him in for the first camp and then not for Copa, and then I think we brought him in for September, but not October, and not November, and not March or something like this.
The fact that Marsch regrets calling him up to the national team highlights the level of play Saliba is playing at. He will be a key player for the national team in the future. After getting eliminated by Guatemala, the national team will now look beyond the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup.
Games Coming Up For The CANMNT
They will face two European teams in September. The first game will be against Romania on September 5, followed by Wales in Swansea, Wales at Swansea.com Stadium on September 9. Both games will be shown live on OneSoccer and Telus TV.
Photo Credit: CANMNT X Account (Soccer) on June 21, 2025.
