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Kobe Franklin

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Kobe Franklin
Franklin with Toronto FC II in 2022
Personal information
Full name Kobe Lloyd Franklin
Date of birth (2003-05-10) May 10, 2003 (age 23)
Place of birth Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
 Toronto FC
Number 19
Youth career
Beach Community Soccer
Power Soccer
Evanston SC
2012–2016 Chicago Fire FC
2017–2021 Toronto FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018 Toronto FC III 1 (1)
2021–2022 Toronto FC II 44 (4)
2022 → Toronto FC (loan) 1 (0)
2023– Toronto FC 82 (2)
2025 → Toronto FC II (loan) 1 (0)
International career‡
2019 Canada U17 2 (0)
2022 Canada U20 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 26, 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of June 26, 2022

Kobe Lloyd Franklin (born May 10, 2003) is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a defender for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.

Early life

[edit]

Born in Toronto, Franklin began playing soccer at age four with Beach Community Soccer.[1][2] Shortly after he began to play with Power Soccer Academy.[3] When he was 9, his family moved to Chicago, where he began playing with Evanston SC before quickly joining the academy of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire.[3] He later returned to Toronto, joining the Toronto FC Academy in February 2017.[4]During his time in Toronto, he attended St. Denis Catholic School and Neil McNeil Catholic High School.[5]

Club career

[edit]

He made his senior debut playing for the Senior Academy team, Toronto FC III, on August 19, 2018, in League1 Ontario against Ottawa South United, scoring a 94th minute goal, becoming the youngest ever goal scorer in League1 Ontario at the age of 15 years, 3 months.[6]

On May 13, 2021, he signed his first professional contract with Toronto FC II of USL League One to join the team for the 2021 season.[4] He made his debut for Toronto FC II on May 22, 2021, against North Texas SC.[7] He scored his first professional goal on August 18 against Forward Madison.[8] On October 1, he recorded two assists and set up a third goal (although was not credited with a third assist) in a 3–0 victory over North Carolina FC.[9] For the 2021 season, he was named a league First Team All-Star and was a finalist for both the USL League One Young Player of the Year and Defender of the Year awards.[10][11] He was subsequently invited to training camp with the first team ahead of the 2022 season (and once again for the 2023 season).[12]

On April 1, 2022, he joined the first team, Toronto FC on a short-term four-day loan.[13] He signed additional four day loans on April 23, May 4, and May 7.[14][15][16] He made his Major League Soccer debut on May 4, 2022, as a second-half substitute against FC Cincinnati.[17] In February 2023, he signed a two-year homegrown player contract with two option years with Toronto FC.[18][19] After a few substitute appearances, Franklin made his first start on April 29, 2023 against New York City FC.[20][21] On August 4, 2024, he scored his first goal for the club, netting the winning goal, in a 2-1 victory over Mexican side Pachuca in the 2024 Leagues Cup.[22][23] In 2025, he was loaned to the second team for some matches.[24] On April 18, 2026, he scored his first MLS goal, scoring the game-tying goal in a 3-3 draw with Austin FC.[25][26]

International career

[edit]

Franklin represented the Canada U17 team at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[27] In June 2022, he was named to the Canadian U-20 team for the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship.[28]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played September 26, 2026[29]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Playoffs National cup Continental Other Total
Division AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Toronto FC III 2018[30] League1 Ontario 11———0011
Toronto FC II 2021 USL League One 242————242
2022 MLS Next Pro 20220———222
Total 44420000000464
Toronto FC (loan) 2022 Major League Soccer 10—00——10
Toronto FC 2023 270—10—1[a]0290
2024 210—50—2[a]1281
2025 150—10——160
2026 1920010——202
Total 83200800031943
Toronto FC II (loan) 2025 MLS Next Pro 10––––10
Career total 1297208000311428
  1. 1 2 Appearance(s) in Leagues Cup

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Kobe Franklin at Canada Soccer
  2. ↑ Vigliano, Ricardo (October 9, 2019). "Kobe Franklin, who started his soccer career in the Beach, set to suit up for Canada at FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil". Beach Metro Community News.
  3. 1 2 Franklin, Kobe. "My Story". Kobe Franklin.
  4. 1 2 "Toronto FC II Sign Kobe Franklin". Toronto FC. May 13, 2021.
  5. ↑ Shackleton, Al (April 10, 2023). "Beacher Kobe Franklin signs contract with Toronto FC, appears in pair of games". Beach Metro Community News. Retrieved April 23, 2026.
  6. ↑ Whyte, Kacian (August 20, 2018). "TFC III Roll Over OSU 4-0 As Franklin Makes History". League1 Ontario.
  7. ↑ "North Texas SC Falls 2-1 Away to Toronto FC II". FC Dallas. May 22, 2021.
  8. ↑ Steiner, Ben (August 19, 2021). "A Resilient Group: TFC II level twice to claim a point in Wisconsin". Waking the Red. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021.
  9. ↑ Schnittker, Nicholas (October 1, 2021). "Trio of rapid second-half goals sinks North Carolina FC in Toronto". Technician.
  10. ↑ "Franklin racks up two nominations for USL League One Awards". Toronto FC. November 9, 2021.
  11. ↑ Molinaro, John (November 29, 2023). "Kobe Franklin a rare success story in TFC's disastrous season". TFC Republic.
  12. ↑ Molinaro, John (March 10, 2023). "TFC's Kobe Franklin: 'Never any doubts in my mind I could play at this level so soon'". TFC Republic.
  13. ↑ "Toronto FC sign defender Kobe Franklin to short-term agreement". Toronto FC. April 1, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Toronto FC sign Antonoglou and Franklin to short-term agreement". Toronto FC. April 23, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Toronto FC sign Antonoglou, Franklin, Rothrock and Yeates to short-term agreements". Toronto FC. May 4, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Toronto adds Antonoglou, Franklin, Rothrock and Yeates to weekend roster". Toronto FC. May 7, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Depleted Toronto FC concede early, drop 3rd straight in shutout loss to Cincinnati FC". CBC Sports. May 4, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Toronto FC Sign Homegrown Defender Kobe Franklin". Toronto FC. February 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ Molinaro, John (February 24, 2023). "Transaction tracker: TFC adds defender Kobe Franklin to roster". TFC Republic.
  20. ↑ Molinaro, John (May 3, 2023). "Kobe Franklin rose to the occasion in his first start for TFC". TFC Republic.
  21. ↑ Molinaro, John (September 13, 2023). "TFC's Kobe Franklin continues to come of age in his rookie year". TFC Republic.
  22. ↑ "Franklin scores off bench as TFC edges Pachuca in Leagues Cup". TSN. August 4, 2024.
  23. ↑ Molinaro, John (August 5, 2024). "TFC Tidbits: 1st career goal a proud moment for Kobe Franklin". TFC Republic.
  24. ↑ "Toronto FC loan five players to TFC II for MLS NEXT Pro Season Opener in Cincinnati". Toronto FC. March 9, 2025.
  25. ↑ Molinaro, John (April 18, 2026). "Kobe Franklin's 1st goal for Toronto FC 'a proud moment'". TFC Republic.
  26. ↑ "Kobe Franklin's 1st career goal helps Toronto FC draw 3-3 with Austin". The Score. April 18, 2026.
  27. ↑ Molinaro, John (October 25, 2019). "What you need to know: Canada at the U-17 FIFA World Cup". Canadian Premier League.
  28. ↑ "Canada announces squad for Concacaf Men's Under-20 Championship". Toronto FC. June 10, 2022.
  29. ↑ Kobe Franklin at Soccerway
  30. ↑ "Kobe Franklin 2018 Stats". League1 Ontario.
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