St. Nicholas students cheer Edmonton's Alphonso Davies at World Cup

Students at St. Nicholas Junior High Catholic School watched Canada's World Cup opener on Friday, June 12, cheering on their school's most famous alumnus, Alphonso Davies, even as the soccer star recovers from injury.

Davies did not play in Friday's match against Bosnia & Herzegovina, but his absence was felt across the school's athletic program. One classroom is decorated with World Cup memorabilia and Davies merchandise, serving as a shrine to the Edmonton-born talent now playing at the world's biggest sporting event.

Tyler Ruiz, a soccer instructor at St. Nicholas and former teammate of Davies, described the player's impact on both the school and the city's soccer culture. "You could give him the ball and he would do magic with it," Ruiz said. "He was always uplifting, always smiling, joy in him. He was just one of those people you wanted to be around."

Ruiz noted that Davies' success in Europe has transformed how young players in Edmonton view professional soccer. "He made it almost possible for kids here that like 'I'm from Canada but I'm still able to go to Europe and play professionally and play in the big clubs," Ruiz said. "He definitely paved the way for kids now."

Grade 8 student Lucas Raymond reflected on the moment: "It's crazy… he's probably stood here before and now he's at the biggest stage in the world. Yeah it's just unbelievable to me."

Soccer's popularity has grown rapidly across Edmonton's neighborhoods, from Clareview to Commonwealth. As the World Cup continues, students at St. Nicholas say they believe Canada can make a deep run in the tournament.

The school's soccer program continues to develop the next generation of players hoping to follow Davies' path.