‘Sons of Serbia’ — Lazar Stefanović (Toronto FC)
Serbia may have only barely missed out on qualification for the last U17 World Cup, however, that doesn’t mean we weren’t represented at all in Indonesia. Canada’s captain was a young diaspora Serb by the name of Lazar Stefanović, who plays his football for Toronto FC.
Stefanović made the headlines when he made his MLS debut with 16 years, 10 months and 22 days in July 2023. This made him the second-youngest player to ever feature for Toronto FC. His debut came only a day after he signed his first professional contract with the Canadian club.
A night to remember for the teenager: ‘Making my debut for the first team was a special moment, and doing it in front of my family made it even better. Being one of the youngest players in club history to make their debut and one of the youngest defenders in league history was also something I cherish.’
Lazar is a left-footed central defender, standing tall at 1.87 cm. Asked to describe his main qualities, he says: ‘my overall defensive abilities, football IQ, ball playing ability and the capability to break lines. Also, I would say I’m a resilient player and a strong leader.’ Supported by the fact that he led Canada’s team at the U17 World Cup.
A fairly unique aspect regarding Stefanović’s situation is that he’s eligible to represent 3 different countries. Canada, Serbia and the United States. ‘I was born in Florida, and my family moved to Canada when I was 2 years old.’
His parents, however, grew up in Serbia: ‘My dad is from Belgrade and my mom is from a town outside of Belgrade, Ralja. They both came to Florida for school, where my dad played college soccer.’ Lazar still frequently visits the country of his roots: ‘I used to visit Serbia every summer when I was younger, but due to busy schedules, I haven’t been back since 2022.
Despite growing up abroad, Stefanović has a strong connection to Serbian sports. ‘I’ve always watched and supported all the Serbian national teams and athletes in different sports, such as football, basketball, tennis, etc. And I’m very proud of my Serbian heritage.’
‘I also support Crvena zvezda. My all-time favourite Serbian player is without doubt Nemanja Vidić and from the current side it’s Aleksandar Mitrović.
Asked which players inspire him, particularly when looking at his own position, Lazar says ‘Sergio Ramos, John Stones and Andreas Christensen are players I try to shape my game around.’
The big question of course is whether Stefanović would be willing to represent Serbia in the future? ‘I’m currently focused on my international career with Canada, but for the future, I’ll just say anything is possible. I’ve been in contact with all 3 federations and you never know what the future might hold. But right now, I’m with Canada.’
Looking at the current season and his club career, Lazar is focused on 2 main goals: ‘to try and break into the first team and to develop more consistency in my game.’
There’s no doubt we’ll be hearing more about Stefanović soon. With the rise of Canadian football, the Serbian diaspora already has and will continue to play a significant role.
The 2 best recent examples are of course Milan Borjan and Stefan Mitrović. The first an 80-time Canadian international, while the latter opted to play for Serbia’s national team, with 2 senior caps to his name already.
We’ll see what Lazar Stefanović decides when the time comes, but one thing is certain, they’re well aware of his qualities in Canada and won’t give up on him without a fight, as he’s already become a starter for the nation’s U20 side, at the age of 17.
