VANCOUVER, BC
– Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced the addition of midfielder/forward
Kamron Habibullah
(habi-bu-llah) from the
Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System
to an MLS Homegrown contract on Friday.
Habibullah spent the duration of preseason with the first team after recently being a part of the Whitecaps FC U-23 team. He
joins fellow local signing Matteo Campagna
to bring the total to seven British Columbians currently signed to the first team roster, as they become the 23rd and 24th academy players all-time to ink an MLS Homegrown contract with the club. Habibullah and Campagna will continue to train with the MLS first team and can be added to the first team roster upon the availability of roster spots.
“Kamron and Matteo are both young players with promising upside; however, this is only the beginning for them,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director and chief executive officer. “They showed up to preseason humble, focused and concentrated. They know that the hard work continues and they need to push themselves to their highest level. We will continue to support them in all aspects of their development, and we believe that they have the ability to earn meaningful minutes in the future.”
Habibullah, 17, first joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System as a 12-year-old in 2016. Over three seasons playing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy from U-16 to U-19, Habibullah amassed 21 goals in 58 appearances.
The resident of Vancouver, BC put in strong performances with the U-15s at the 2018 Rotterdam Cup in the Netherlands, and on a trip to Spain where he scored a winning goal against Real Madrid Academy.
He also excelled with the U-17s at the 2019 Generation adidas Cup, netting four goals. As a young player in 2018 and 2019, Habibullah faced international club competition during trips with the Whitecaps FC Development Squad to Mexico, England, and South Korea.
“I want to thank Allah for giving me this opportunity, without Allah I’m nothing,” said Habibullah. “I’d like to thank my mom, my dad, and my two brothers. They all inspire me in their own ways, without them I’m not who I am today and I wouldn’t be here signing my first pro contract. Thank you to the coaches for believing in me, and thank you to Legend Zico for all the years of hard work and important Islamic guidance off the pitch, thank you to my agent, thank you to my close mentors and everyone close to me for supporting me and playing a role in my journey so far. I hope to use this as a key step in my career. I’ll always be giving my all to the team, to get better, to learn, and to prove myself every day. This is a big moment for me and my family but it’s just the start.”
At the national team level, Habibullah represented Canada’s U-17 men’s national team in 2019, scoring three goals during qualifying and then starting twice and making three appearances later that year at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil.
In his youth, Habibullah played at South Burnaby Metro Club, Burnaby Selects, and Mountain United FC, and was a part of the BC Soccer Provincial Program.
Habibullah was born in Uzbekistan in 2003 after his father Muhibullah emigrated to Tashkent from Afghanistan at age 16 and met his mother, Gavkhar. The family moved to British Columbia in 2005.
TRANSACTION: On April 23, 2021, Whitecaps FC sign midfielder/forward Kamron Habibullah from the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System to an MLS Homegrown contract. Habibullah can be added to the first team roster upon the availability of roster spots.
Kamron Habibullah
Position: Midfielder/Forward
Pronunciation: kam-ron habi-bu-llah
Height: 5-07
Weight: 150 pounds
Date of Birth: October 23, 2003 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Citizenship: Canada
Status: Domestic
Youth Clubs: South Burnaby Metro Club, Burnaby Selects, Mountain United FC
VWFC Teams: WFC Academy ('16 - present), Whitecaps FC U-23 ('18 - present)
