Whitecaps FC Add Nelson Pierre to MLS First Team Roster
MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Whitecaps FC Add Nelson Pierre to MLS First Team Roster

Published on June 28, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC News Release


VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Saturday that the club has added forward Nelson Pierre to the MLS first team roster after Whitecaps FC 2 exercised the option to acquire Pierre from Philadelphia Union in exchange for $50,000. Pierre is under contract through 2026, with a club option for 2027.

"Last winter, Nelson was looking for a fresh start, and since arriving in Vancouver, he's hit the ground running," said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. "Now at the halfway point of the season, he's the top goalscorer in MLS NEXT Pro and has earned this opportunity. Everyone at the club is committed to supporting his continued growth, helping him take the next step in his development, and working on the areas that will elevate his promising young career."

Whitecaps FC forward Nelson Pierre

Leading goalscorer in MLS NEXT Pro this season with 11 goals in 14 matches for WFC2

Signed to an MLS Homegrown contract with Philadelphia Union as a 17-year-old in February 2023

Becomes sixth WFC2 MLS NEXT Pro player to join the Whitecaps FC MLS roster

Haiti youth international, making three appearances with the U-20 national team The 20-year-old was originally acquired on loan in February from the Union to Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) in MLS NEXT Pro. Through the first half of the season, Pierre leads MLS NEXT Pro with 11 goals in 14 matches. In total, Pierre has scored in eight of the 14 matches he has played, including scoring two goals in three different games.

Pierre signed an MLS Homegrown contract with Philadelphia Union in February 2023. The forward spent eight years with the Union Academy and became the first signing for Union II in MLS NEXT Pro, going on to record nine goals and four assists over two seasons.

Prior to coming to Vancouver, Pierre spent 2024 on loan with Swedish side Skövde AIK, making three appearances, before being recalled and loaned to USL League One side Charlotte Independence, where he scored one goal in nine appearances.

On the international level, Pierre has represented the Haiti U-20 national team, making three appearances at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

Pierre becomes the sixth WFC2 MLS NEXT Pro player to join the Whitecaps FC MLS roster, following in the footsteps of Ali Ahmed, Simon Becher, Levonte Johnson, Jeevan Badwal, and Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau.

TRANSACTIONS: On June 28, Whitecaps FC added forward Nelson Pierre to the MLS first team roster after Whitecaps FC 2 exercised the option to acquire Pierre from Philadelphia Union in exchange for $50,000.

Nelson Pierre

Position: Forward

Height: 6-02

Weight: 180 pounds

Date of Birth: March 22, 2005 in Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Hometown: Lebanon, Pennsylvania

Citizenship: United States / Haiti

Status: Domestic

Previous Clubs: Philadelphia Union, Philadelphia Union II, Skövde AIK, Charlotte Independence

Youth Club: Philadelphia Union Academy

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