Atlético Ottawa Defender Kozlovskiy Selected by Canada for FIFA U-17 World Cup
CPL Atletico Ottawa

Atlético Ottawa Defender Kozlovskiy Selected by Canada for FIFA U-17 World Cup

Published on October 21, 2025 under Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release


Atlético Ottawa defender Sergei Kozlovskiy
Atlético Ottawa defender Sergei Kozlovskiy
(Atletico Ottawa)

OTTAWA, ON - Atlético Ottawa defender Sergei Kozlovskiy has been selected to represent Canada at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025©, beginning November 3, 2025.

Kozlovskiy (17) will not be available for selection by Atlético Ottawa after Saturday, October 18, including the 2025 Canadian Premier League playoffs.

Kozlovskiy featured 20 times for Atlético in 2025, contributing 1,547 minutes of the league-leading tally of 8,035 minutes played by domestic U-21 players. He joined Atlético in March 2025, having come through the academy of Major League Soccer's CF Montréal and made his professional debut on April 13, 2025, against Vancouver FC in Langford, British Columbia, at the age of 16.

"This is a dream for every young soccer player in Canada, to go to a World Cup and represent your country," said Kozlovskiy, Defender, Atlético Ottawa. "I feel prepared to do my best after my first professional season with Atlético Ottawa. Playing with so many seasoned professionals has taken my game to new levels. Representing Canada in the World Cup will be another incredible experience, and I'm eager to do my best for the team."

The FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025© will take place from 3 to 27 November in Al Rayyan, Qatar. This will mark Canada's ninth participation at the global men's tournament, and the first edition to feature an expanded 48-team format under FIFA's new annual cycle. Canada enters the tournament looking to make history with its first-ever win at the FIFA U-17 World Cup©.

Drawn into Group K, Canada will face Uganda, France, and Chile in the group stage. Under the leadership of Head Coach Mike Vitulano, the team will open its campaign against Uganda on Wednesday, 5 November (18:45 local / 10:45 ET), meet France on Saturday, 8 November (16:30 local / 8:30 ET), and close out group play against Chile on Tuesday, 11 November (15:30 local / 7:30 ET). All three matches will be played within the Aspire Zone Sports Complex in Al Rayyan, with the Khalifa International Stadium set to host the tournament's final. The top two teams in each group, along with the eight best third-place finishers, will advance to the Round of 32 before the tournament progresses to the knockout phase.

"We are very proud of Sergei's progress this season," said Diego Mejía, Head Coach, Atlético Ottawa. "He has been a key part of our squad, and he will be missed as we head into the playoffs. For a young player, he has experience beyond his years, and going to the World Cup with his country will only make him a better footballer and a more mature person. It's exciting to think about the progress he will make in the coming weeks, and we wish him and the Canadian team the greatest of success."

Canada's squad features an exciting mix of emerging talent from both domestic and international clubs. Eligible players must be born on or after 1 January 2008, with this year's roster including representatives from professional academies in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Twelve players are currently part of Canadian Major League Soccer academies (CF Montréal, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC) and two players play regularly with Canadian Premier League teams (Atlético Ottawa and York United FC).

Canada booked its ticket to this year's FIFA U-17 World Cup© by topping its group at the Concacaf Men's U-17 Championship Qualifiers in Bermuda this February. The team finished first in Group A with a perfect 4-0-0 record, scoring 28 goals and conceding just two.

Canada will begin its pre-camp in Dubai on 24 October with a closed-doors preparatory friendly against Germany on 30 October before transitioning to Doha for the tournament phase on 1 November.

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Atlético Ottawa defender Sergei Kozlovskiy
Atlético Ottawa defender Sergei Kozlovskiy
   



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