Montreal Impact League of Nations

As if anyone were ever in any doubt regarding the cosmopolitan nation of footballing life at Stade Saputo, Kenyan Victor Wanyama’s appearance in the last match before lockdown, brought to 37, the number of nations represented in Bleu/Blanc/Noir since MLS entry in 2012.

The USA lead the way with 33 players, with Canada following closely behind on 29. Hardly surprising.

No other country on the globe reaches double figures, with Italy coming in 3rd, providing 8 players. This tally will be equalled by Argentinians should the Impact blood young Emanuel Maciel who arrived at the club as part of the deal taking Ignacio Piatti back to San Lorenzo.
There have been 5 Frenchmen, 4 Jamaicans and Bojan’s arrival last season brought the Spanish tally up to 3.

Clearly CONCACAF leads in respect of which continents players are drawn from with 74. There have been 29 Europeans, 13 South Americans and 11 Africans. The Impact has yet to field a player from either the Asian or Oceania confederations.

It could be argued however that Ken Krolicki is the first Asian to play for Montreal Impact in the MLS-era. The former midfielder, now with Portland Timbers 2 in the USL Championship holds Japanese and American passports, was born in Tokyo, grew up in Kitakyushu, Japan and moved to Michigan as a freshman in high school. He majored in applied engineering sciences at Michigan State but all of his college and pro-soccer career has been in the US.

He is included in the tally of USA players in compiling this article.

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