Canada Soccer announced today that Baynes has been selected to compete for Canada in the 2024 Concacaf Under-20 Championship Qualifiers. The three-game group stage qualifies players for the 2024 Concacaf Under-20 Championship, which will be held this summer in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, from February 23–27.
Stewart-Baynes, 19, is presently playing for the Rapids in his first season following
was chosen by the team as the fourth overall pick from the University of Maryland in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. Stewart-Baynes has made three appearances for the Rapids this preseason, tallying two goals and dishing out an assist.
In his 14-game rookie campaign at the University of Maryland, Stewart-Baynes recorded three goals and seven assists in his collegiate career. The product of Toronto, Ontario, was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Freshman Best XI Second Team, was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and was unanimously chosen for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Stewart-Baynes played for Vaughan Soccer Club before joining the Terrapins. There, he helped the U-19 squad capture the League 1 U-19 championship with 17 goals in 14 games. Additionally, he attended Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School, where he contributed seven assists and nine goals. Stewart-Baynes, who ran a 100-meter dash in 11 seconds as a junior in high school, provides speed to the Rapids
Group D’s opponents for Canada are Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica, and St. Vincent & The Grenadines. In advance of the Qualifiers, Canada will convene in Trinidad & Tobago on Friday, February 16. The team’s group stage matches are scheduled to begin on Friday, February 23, against Dominica; on Sunday, February 25, they will play St. Vincent & The Grenadines; and on Tuesday, February 27, they will play Trinidad & Tobago.
Teams who place first in each of the six groups after group stage play will be guaranteed a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Under-20 Championship, which will take place this summer.
Canada, who won the competition twice (1986, 1996), is hoping to make it to their 25th Concacaf Under-20 Championship appearance. In the biannual competition in 2022, Canada made it out of their group but lost to Guatemala in the Round of 16 due to penalties.
