Erik Pop
{{Short description|Canadian soccer player (born 2006)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Erik Pop
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname = Erik David Pop
|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2006|1|30}}
|birth_place = Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
|height = {{height|m=1.88}}
|position = Forward
|currentclub = Valour FC
|clubnumber = 9
|youthyears1 = 2013–2022 |youthclubs1 = ProStars FC
|youthyears2 = 2023–2024 |youthclubs2 = Karlsruher SC
|years1 = 2024 |clubs1 = Karlsruher SC II |caps1 = 3 |goals1 = 0
|years2 = 2025– |clubs2 = Valour FC |caps2 = 1 |goals2 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 2023
|nationalteam1 = Canada U17
|nationalcaps1 = 8
|nationalgoals1 = 1
|nationalyears2 = 2024
|nationalteam2 = Romania U18
|nationalcaps2 = 2
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|club-update = May 4, 2025
|nationalteam-update =
}}
Erik David Pop (born January 30, 2006) is a Romanian-Canadian professional soccer player who plays for Canadian Premier League club Valour FC.
Early life
Pop began playing youth soccer with ProStars FC, which was founded by his father Gabriel.{{Canada Soccer player|id=56213}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sport.ro/stranieri/erik-pop-atacantul-roman-prezentat-de-sport-ro-debuteaza-azi-la-campionatul-mondial-u-17-cu-nationala.html|title=Erik Pop, atacantul român prezentat de Sport.ro, debutează azi la Campionatul Mondial U-17 cu naționala Canadei! "Lucrurile încep să se lege"|trans-title=Erik Pop, the Romanian striker presented by Sport.ro, makes his debut today at the U-17 World Championship with the Canadian national team! "Things are starting to come together"|language=ro|work=Sport.ro|date=November 10, 2023|first=Cătălin|last=Parfene}} In January 2023, he went to Germany to trial with FC Köln, before signing two weeks later with Karlsruher SC.{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/karlsruher-sc-erik-pop/|title=Veth: ProStars Youngster Signs In 2. Bundesliga|date=January 20, 2023|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sport.ro/stranieri/doi-fotbalisti-romani-s-au-calificat-cu-nationala-canadei-la-campionatul-mondial-under-17-baieti-seriosi.html|title=Doi fotbaliști români s-au calificat cu naționala Canadei la Campionatul Mondial Under 17! "Băieți serioși, s-au dezvoltat fantastic"|trans-title=Two Romanian footballers qualified with the Canadian national team for the Under-17 World Championship! "Serious boys, they developed fantastically"|language=ro|date=February 27, 2023|work=Sport.ro|first=Cătălin|last=Parfene}}
Club career
In 2024, he played with Karlsruher SC II in the sixth tier Verbandsliga Nordbaden.
In January 2025, he signed with Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League on a two-year contract, with an option for 2027.{{cite web|url=https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/valour-fc-announce-signing-of-striker-erik-pop|title=Valour FC announce signing of striker Erik Pop|date=January 30, 2025|work=Valour FC}}{{cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/valour-fc-erik-pop-striker-sign-2025/|title=Valour Adds Former L1O Youth Standout Erik Pop|date=January 30, 2025|first=John|last=Jacques|work=Northern Tribune}}
International career
Pop is eligible to represent Canada and Romania at international level.{{cite web|url=https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/hes-there-to-compete-and-hopefully-find-minutes-organically|title="He's there to compete and hopefully find minutes organically"|date=January 30, 2025|work=Valour FC|first=Ed|last=Tait}}
He made his debut in the Canadian national program in October 2022, attending a camp with the Canada U17. He was subsequently named to the roster for the 2023 CONCACAF U-17 Championship and 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/fotbal-international/se-mareste-legiunea-de-romani-din-nationalele-canadei-andrei-dumitru-si-erik-pop-au-ales-si-ei-frunza-de-artar-2222551|title=Se mărește "legiunea" de români din naționalele Canadei. Andrei Dumitru și Erik Pop au ales și ei "Frunza de arțar"|trans-title=The "legion" of Romanians in Canada's national teams is growing. Andrei Dumitru and Erik Pop also chose the "Maple Leaf"|language=ro|date=|work=Digi Sport}}
In 2024, he represented Romania U18.{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/prostars_soccer_academy/p/C49dC2EMvCx/?hl=en|title=Congratulations to our very own Erik Pop who was called up to the Romanian U18 National Team|website=ProStars FC|publisher=Instagram|date=March 25, 2024}}
Career statistics
{{updated|January 30, 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | |||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Playoffs !colspan="2"|Domestic Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division
!Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Karlsruher SC II
|3 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 20 | 4 | |||
| Valour FC
|2025 |0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{soccerway|erik-david-pop/892473}}
{{Valour FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pop, Erik}}
Category:Canadian men's soccer players
Category:Romanian men's footballers
Category:Karlsruher SC II players
Category:Canada men's youth international soccer players
Category:Romania men's youth international footballers
Category:Soccer players from Mississauga
Category:Men's association football forwards