Joel Waterman

Joel Waterman is a Canadian defender and defensive midfielder for Chicago Fire. He rose from university and lower-division football to become the first Canadian Premier League player transferred to an MLS club.

Waterman played for Trinity Western and several development clubs before Cavalry selected him in the CPL-U Sports Draft. After helping Cavalry top both halves of the 2019 regular season, he joined CF Montreal and later moved to Chicago Fire in 2025.

He debuted for Canada in 2022 and was selected for the 2022 World Cup, 2024 Copa America, 2025 Gold Cup and 2026 World Cup squads.