Jacob Everett Shaffelburg (born November 26, 1999) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC and the Canada national team.
 Shaffelburg playing for Toronto FC in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jacob Everett Shaffelburg[1] | ||
| Date of birth | November 26, 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada[2] | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nashville SC | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Valley United SC | |||
| 2012–2014 | FC Nashville Heroes | ||
| 2014 | Sporting Kansas City | ||
| Manhattan SC | |||
| 2016–2019 | Toronto FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017 | Toronto FC III | 1 | (0) |
| 2018 | Black Rock FC | 7 | (8) |
| 2019 | Toronto FC II | 15 | (2) |
| 2019–2022 | Toronto FC | 46 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | → Toronto FC II (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Nashville SC (loan) | 8 | (2) |
| 2023– | Nashville SC | 43 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2020– | Canada | 14 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 1, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 5, 2024 | |||
Early life
Shaffelburg played youth soccer for Valley United SC and Team Nova Scotia.[3] In 2012, he joined FC Nashville Heroes, where he played in the 2012 U.S. Club Soccer National Cup.[4] In January 2014, he joined the Sporting Kansas City Academy, where he played for a month.[4] At age 15, he began attending high school in Massachusetts at the Berkshire School, where he played for their highly regarded soccer program.[5][6] He played an instrumental part in the team, scoring four goals in two games in the NEPSAC playoffs his senior year (2018), helping Berkshire win their fifth title in seven years[7] and he was named 2017–18 Gatorade Massachusetts Boys Soccer Player of the Year.[8] While in the US, he also played youth soccer with Manhattan SC where he won U.S. Club Soccer U-16 National Championship in 2016.[9]
He joined the Toronto FC Academy in 2016.[10] He appeared in a friendly for the HFX Wanderers FC Atlantic Selects team in 2018 against Fortuna Düsseldorf's U-21 team, where he scored a goal.[11] He had originally committed to the University of Virginia on a soccer scholarship, but ultimately decided to sign a professional contract instead.[12]
Club career
He played a game with Toronto FC III in League1 Ontario in 2017.[9]
In 2018, he played with Black Rock FC in the Premier Development League. He finished as the team's leading scorer with eight goals, tied with Ifunanyachi Achara.[13]
In November 2018, he signed his first professional contract with Toronto FC II[9] and began the 2019 season with them in USL League One.[14]
Shaffelburg made his first appearance for Toronto FC in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League on February 19, 2019 and then signed with Toronto FC as a Homegrown Player on June 21, 2019.[8] He made his first MLS appearance the following day, playing 31 minutes against FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas.[15] Four days later, on June 26, he had his first start for Toronto FC at BMO Field scoring an assist in a 3–2 win against Atlanta United FC,[16] setting up the fastest goal in TFC history only 29 seconds into the game.[17] Shaffelburg would quickly find himself in the starting lineup shortly after signing, earning rave reviews for his pace from the coaching staff.[18] He scored his first goal in the 74th minute on 15 May 2021, in a 1–1 draw against New York City.[19] On September 3, he was loaned to Toronto FC II.[20] Upon completion of the 2021 season, Shaffelburg's option for the 2022 season would be picked up by Toronto.[21] He went on a short loan to the second team again in 2022.[22]
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In August 2022, Shaffelburg joined Nashville SC on loan for the remainder of the 2022 season, with an option for a permanent transfer in 2023.[23] He made his debut for Nashville on August 21 against FC Dallas and scored a goal in a 4–0 victory.[24] After the season, Nashville exercised the purchase option for the 2023 season and signed him to a four-year contract extension with a club option for 2027.[25][26]
International career
Youth
Shaffelburg was named to the Canadian U-23 provisional roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship on February 26, 2020.[27]
Senior
Shaffelburg received his first senior international call-up to Canada on January 3, 2020, for matches against Barbados and Iceland.[28] On January 10, 2020, he made his debut as a substitute against Barbados.[29]
In June 2023, Shaffelburg was called up to Canada's squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[30] On July 9 he scored his first goal for Canada during the quarter-finals of the tournament against the United States. The match ended in a 2–2 draw, though Canada lost 3–2 in the ensuing penalty shoot-out.[31]
In June 2024, Shaffelburg was named in Canada's 26-man roster for the 2024 Copa América.[32] In Canada's second group match of the tournament, he assisted Jonathan David, who scored Canada's first ever goal at the tournament in a 1–0 victory over Peru; this was Canada's first ever win in the competition.[33] In their quarter-final match against Venezuela, he scored for Canada in a 1–1 draw, which they would go on to win on penalties.[34]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played June 1, 2024[35]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Toronto FC III | 2017[36] | League1 Ontario | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Black Rock FC | 2018[37] | PDL | 7 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 8 | ||||
| Toronto FC II | 2019 | USL League One | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 15 | 2 | ||||
| Toronto FC | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 10 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2020 | 4[b] | 0 | — | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 2021 | 19 | 3 | — | 3 | 1 | 4[a] | 0 | — | 26 | 4 | ||||
| 2022 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 4 | ||
| Nashville SC (loan) | 2022 | Major League Soccer | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| Nashville SC | 2023 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 6[e] | 1 | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2024 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[a] | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | |||
| Total | 51 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 67 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 120 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 150 | 24 | ||
International
- As of match played July 5, 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | |
| Total | 14 | 3 | |
Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 July 2023 | TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, United States | 7 |  United States | 2–1 | 2–2 (2–3 p) | 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 2 | 23 March 2024 | Toyota Stadium, Frisco, United States | 8 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2024 Copa América qualifying play-offs |
| 3 | 5 July 2024 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States | 14 |  Venezuela | 1–0 | 1–1 (4–3 p) | 2024 Copa América |
Honours
Toronto FC
Individual
- Canadian Championship Best Young Canadian Player Award: 2021[39]