The Canadian Premier League unveiled its official Best XI, Fuelled by Gatorade, for the 2024 season on Thursday.
The eleven, selected by the league’s football department, features players from five different clubs. That includes four players each from North Star Cup champions Cavalry FC and CPL Shield winners Forge FC.
Eight of those players were Canadian, while three returned from last year’s Best XI: Forge’s Kyle Bekker and Cavalry duo Daan Klomp and Ali Musse.
Players were selected based on their performances in both the 2024 Canadian Premier League regular season and playoffs.
Here is a look at this year’s honourees:
Goalkeeper
Emil Gazdov (Pacific FC)
The 21-year-old Pacific shot-stopper won the 2024 Golden Glove award as the CPL’s goalkeeper of the year. He had the second-most clean sheets in the league with seven in 21 games, conceding just 0.94 goals per 90 minutes – also second among keepers with at least 10 starts.
Defenders
Fraser Aird (Cavalry FC)
Aird was an integral part of Cavalry’s championship campaign, leading the league in chances created with 64 and successful crosses with 69 (34 more than the second-most). The dynamic right-back was not only crucial to the Cavs’ attack with his delivery from open play and set-pieces, but he was effective in defence as well, winning 67 duels and making 91 recoveries.
Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson (Forge FC)
The only outfield player in the CPL to play every single minute of his team’s season in 2024, Achinioti-Jönsson was nominated for Defender of the Year for the second time in his career. He led the league in successful passes in the regular season with 1,533 and helped power Forge to the CPL Shield.
Daan Klomp (Cavalry FC)
Klomp was named the league’s Defender of the Year for a second consecutive campaign, leading Cavalry to lift the North Star Cup as champions by allowing just one goal in their two playoff matches against Forge. In the regular season, Klomp led the league in blocks (23) and was second in aerial duels won (88), also contributing six goals.
Themi Antonoglou (Valour FC)
The 23-year-old left-back was a revelation for Valour in his first CPL season, leading the league with seven assists – the first time a defender has ever topped the leaderboard in that category. Antonoglou also won the most tackles of any defender in 2024 with 51, and was nominated for Defender of the Year.
Midfielders
Tristan Borges (Forge FC)
The CPL’s 2024 Player of the Year had an outstanding campaign for the CPL Shield winners, scoring eight times and adding six assists. He finished third in the league in goal contributions (14) and tied for third in chances created (42). He is the first ever two-time winner of the Player of the Year award.
Alessandro Hojabrpour (Forge FC)
The 24-year-old holding midfielder was the engine of Forge’s midfield this season, earning a nomination for the league’s Player of the Year award. He finished third in the league in possession won (159) and tied for fifth in interceptions (40). His quality with the ball was evident as well, as he finished tied for third in successful long passes with 127.
Kyle Bekker (Forge FC)
Forge’s captain is still one of the league’s biggest stars, with his fifth Player of the Year nomination in the league’s six seasons, winning the award in 2020. He had seven assists between the regular season and playoffs, and finished tied for third in chances created (42) – adding two goals himself.
Forwards
Ali Musse (Cavalry FC)
After missing most of the first half of the season through injury, Musse’s return was a critical catalyst for Cavalry’s North Star Cup run. He finished the year with four goals and four assists in 18 matches between the regular season and playoffs. He also finished tied for fifth in chances created, with 41.
Brian Wright (York United FC)
Wright’s role in York United’s 2024 season earned him the league’s Players’ Player of the Year Award for 2024. His 15 goal contributions were the second-most of any player between the regular season and playoffs – with nine goals and six assists. He finished fourth in the league in expected goals in 9.09.
Tobias Warschewski (Cavalry FC)
In his first season with Cavalry FC, Tobias Warschewski won the Canadian Premier League’s Golden Boot award with 12 goals during the regular season. He added a goal against Forge in the qualifying semi-final, and a goal and an assist in the CPL Final, taking home the league’s first-ever CPL Final MVP award as Cavalry won their first North Star Cup.
