- Nationality
Canada- Position
- Defender
- Most Recent Club
- Chicago Fire FC
- Former Clubs
- CF Montreal, Cavalry FC
- National Team Appearances
- Canada Senior
- Post-Secondary Teams
- Trinity Western University Spartans
- Birthplace
- Surrey, British Columbia
Joel Waterman was born in Surrey BC and raised in Aldergrove. He came through youth clubs like Aldergrove YSC, Langley United, and Surrey United, before captaining Trinity Western University in U SPORTS. By the time he left school, he had built a reputation as a versatile defender with the heart of a leader.
After sharpening his game in USL PDL with Kitsap Pumas, TSS Rovers, and Calgary Foothills (where he won the 2018 PDL championship) Joel entered the history books. In 2019, he signed for Cavalry FC in the inaugural Canadian Premier League season, leading the team to both the Spring and Fall titles and a run to the CPL Finals. That success caught the eye of Major League Soccer.
In January 2020, Joel became the first CPL player ever transferred to MLS, joining CF Montréal. Over five years in Montréal, Joel became a mainstay in the backline, winning the 2021 Canadian Championship and passing 130 MLS appearances.
He was traded to the Chicago Fire, where he made an immediate impact, debuting right away and scoring his first Fire goal within weeks.
Joel’s rise also brought him to the global stage. In November 2022, he made his debut for Canada against Bahrain and was named to the country’s FIFA World Cup squad for Qatar 2022. He went on to represent Canada at the 2024 Copa América and the 2025 Gold Cup, establishing himself as a reliable presence in the national-team pool.
From Aldergrove to Chicago, via Montréal and Qatar, Joel Waterman’s story is already a landmark in Canadian soccer history: a player who helped prove that the CPL can launch careers, and that hard work at every level can lead all the way to the world stage.