Olympic champion Jessie Fleming from Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team has been named the 2021 Canada Soccer Player of the Year. Fleming won the national award for the first time after leading Canada in matches, starts and minutes played while also co-leading Canada in goals scored. She also helped Chelsea FC win the FA Women’s Super League, the FA Cup, the FA League Cup, and reach the Final of 2020-21 UEFA Champions League.
 
Fleming scored four goals for Canada in 2021, including penalty goals in the 1:0 victory over USA and the 1:1 equalizer against Sweden in the Olympic Final before Canada won 3-2 on kicks to capture the world title. The win over USA in the Olympic Semi-Final was Canada’s first victory against their Concacaf rivals in 20 years. Across the year for Canada, Fleming played in 17 matches, made 16 starts, featured in 1,481 minutes, and also helped Canada set a Women’s National Team record with a 12-match unbeaten streak from April through October.
 
In England, she helped Chelsea FC win League Cup in March, the FA Women’s Super League in May, and the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium in December. She scored her first league goal on 26 September and her first UEFA Champions League goal in 9 November.
 
Alongside winning Canada Soccer Player of the Month honours in March, October and November, Fleming won FA Women’s Super League Player of the Month honours in November. Through mid-December, she has scored three goals and two assists in her first nine matches of the 2021-22 FA Women’s Super League season with Chelsea FC in second place.
 
Fleming was honoured from a vote shared by Canadian media and Canadian coaches. The Canada Soccer Players of the Year Award is shared by winners from both the Women’s National Team and Men’s National Team, with Alphonso Davies the co-winner from the 2021 calendar year.
 
Fleming from London, Ontario was just 14 years old when she made her debut with Canada Soccer’s Youth National Teams in 2012. She was 15 years old when she made her international “A” debut for Canada on 15 December 2013, the second youngest Women’s National Team player in program history. She scored her first goal for Canada on 4 March 2015.
 
2021 CANADA SOCCER PLAYER AWARDS
This marks the 29th edition of the Canada Soccer Player Awards. Amongst women’s footballers, Jessie Fleming finished first in voting ahead of runner up Stephanie Labbé and top-five finishers Ashley Lawrence, Christine Sinclair and Kadeisha Buchanan.
 
As part of the 2021 Canada Soccer Player Awards, Theo Corbeanu and Jade Rose were named Canada Soccer Youth International Players of the Year while Joshua Lemos was named the Canada Soccer Futsal Player of the Year.
 
Winners of the Canada Soccer Players of the Year Award
2021 Alphonso Davies & Jessie Fleming
2020 Alphonso Davies & Kadeisha Buchanan
2019 Jonathan David & Ashley Lawrence
2018 Alphonso Davies & Christine Sinclair
2017 Atiba Hutchinson & Kadeisha Buchanan
2016 Atiba Hutchinson & Christine Sinclair
2015 Atiba Hutchinson & Kadeisha Buchanan
2014 Atiba Hutchinson & Christine Sinclair
2013 Will Johnson & Christine Sinclair
2012 Atiba Hutchinson & Christine Sinclair
2011 Dwayne De Rosario & Christine Sinclair
2010 Atiba Hutchinson & Christine Sinclair
2009 Simeon Jackson & Christine Sinclair
2008 Julian de Guzman & Christine Sinclair
2007 Dwayne De Rosario & Christine Sinclair
2006 Dwayne De Rosario & Christine Sinclair
2005 Dwayne De Rosario & Christine Sinclair
2004 Paul Stalteri & Christine Sinclair
2003 Pat Onstad & Charmaine Hooper
2002 Jason deVos & Charmaine Hooper
2001 Paul Stalteri & Andrea Neil
2000 Craig Forrest & Christine Sinclair
1999 Jim Brennan & Geraldine Donnelly
1998 Tomasz Radzinski & Silvana Burtini
1997 Mark Watson & Janine Helland
1996 Paul Peschisolido & Geraldine Donnelly
1995 Alex Bunbury & Charmaine Hooper
1994 Craig Forrest & Charmaine Hooper
1993 Alex Bunbury