Surrey-raised midfielder Jeevan Badwal is among Vancouver Whitecaps FC players saluted during the club's 2024 Player Awards on Nov. 1.
Badwal, 18, earned WFC2 Player of the Year honours for a strong season with the reserve soccer team, whose coaching staff gave him the award.
After graduating through the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy, Badwal made big strides in 2024 when he signed his first professional contract heading into his second season with Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) in MLS NEXT Pro, helping the team secure its first playoff birth.
Badwal scored his first two professional goals during the season for WFC2, adding one assist and 11 key passes. Among players with five or more appearances, he led the team with an 87.9 passing percentage.
In July, Badwal made his Whitecaps FC first-team debut, coming on as a second-half substitute in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal at Pacific FC. Two months later, he signed an MLS contract as a Homegrown player.
“I am very excited for this moment,” Badwal said in September. “It (signing a MLS contract) means a lot to my family and I, especially after coming through the academy with the club I grew up with and I'm really excited to get started. I want to thank the fans for all their support, I can't wait to play in front of them and show my qualities on the pitch.”
At the international level, Badwal started seven of eight matches for Canada during qualifying and tournament play at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.
Earlier in his soccer career, Badwal played for Coastal FC, Surrey FC, Supra Academy and B.E.S.T. Academy.
A lifelong Newton-area resident, Badwal went to Tamanawis Secondary for Grade 8 before transferring to Vancouver’s University Hill Secondary, where Whitecaps academy players are schooled.
