Vancouver Whitecaps FC sign homegrown forward Johnny Selemani to MLS contract through 2029-30

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced Saturday that it has signed forward Johnny Selemani to a homegrown contract with the first team. The deal runs through the 2029-30 MLS season, with club options for 2030-31 and 2031-32.

Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director, said Selemani’s progression through the club’s system led to the agreement. “Johnny has taken every step within our system to reach this point,” Schuster said in the club release. He added that Selemani’s continued development and familiarity with first-team environment are meant to help him “take the next step and prepare for the demands of the MLS level.”

Selemani, 18, has already had limited exposure to first-team action on MLS short-term agreements. The club said he has made one start in three appearances with the first team. With Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS NEXT Pro, he recorded 4 goals and 3 assists across 34 appearances, and he joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy in August 2022.

The announcement also places Selemani within Vancouver’s MLS NEXT Pro-to-first-team pipeline. Whitecaps said he is the 12th WFC2 MLS NEXT Pro player and the 30th Homegrown player to sign a first-team contract with the club.

On the international stage, Selemani has represented Canada at the U-15 and U-17 levels, including competition at the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In his remarks accompanying the signing, he said: “I’m really grateful to Whitecaps FC for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’ve been with the club for a long time now, so being able to sign my first professional contract here means a lot.”

Selemani’s statement continued with thanks to people and support around his development. “First of all, I want to thank Jesus Christ because without him none of this would be possible,” he said, before adding gratitude to coaches, staff, teammates, and especially his family. He closed by noting the moment is meaningful while recognizing “there’s still a lot of work to do and I’m excited for what’s next.”

At the time of the announcement, Vancouver sits at the top of the Western Conference with 49 points on a 15W-5L-4D record, and the club has nine matches remaining in the regular season, according to the same release.