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A mighty Promise: Canada's other goalscoring David primed for Champions League success
It's hard to miss Promise David on the pitch.
The 24-year-old strikes a massive figure, standing at 6-foot-5. However, his powerful presence is not a lumbering one, as the Union Saint-Gilloise striker often glides across the grass with frightening speed and a quickness that — somehow — continues to surprise opposing defenders.
David's complement of physical attributes and his growing footballing IQ converged last season as the Canadian enjoyed a breakout maiden campaign for Union SG, as he scored 19 times in league play to lead his side to their first Belgian championship in 90 years.
Union SG's rise to the top of Belgian football was boosted by David's own personal rise, as the Brampton, Ontario native was plucked from relative obscurity by the Brussels outfit. Even the most hardened of Football Manager enthusiasts would be stumped by some of the clubs in David's CV — after stints in the youth setups at Toronto FC of MLS, local semi-pro club Vaughan Azzurri, NK Trnje in Croatia and second tier American team FC Tulsa, he began life as a professional with Valletta of the Maltese Premier League.
He made 14 total appearances with Valletta before joining Sirens in the same league for the 2022-23 campaign, in which he played seven times and scored zero goals.
David's lack of production forced him to take a step down with his next move, and the towering forward transferred to Nõmme Kalju in Estonia, where he joined the club's reserve side. It was a humbling move, but it also marked a milestone for the aspiring star as he fetched his first transfer fee: €25,000, according to Transfermarkt.
At Kalju, the then 22-year-old thrived, showing himself to be far too much for the Estonian third division as he scored 22 goals in 19 appearances for the club's reserves. That earned a call-up to the first team in the top flight, with whom he scored seven goals in 23 Premium Liiga matches in 2023 before adding another 14 goals in 16 matches the following campaign.
David's time in Estonia caught the eye of Union SG, who cut his 2024 Premium Liiga season short when they spent €600,000 to acquire him ahead of the 2024-25 Belgian Pro League campaign. His true value is likely several orders of magnitude times more than what Union SG paid for him, as he quickly became the team's goals king and helped lead them to the Champions League for the first time.
But while David's on-field profile is rapidly ascending, it's his larger-than-life personality that may make him a household name.
Charismatic and extremely comfortable in front of a camera, David's outgoing personality is a massive contrast to Canada's original goalscoring David, Juventus striker Jonathan David, whose "Iceman" persona is born out of the former Lille man's calm, reserved demeanour.
That the two Davids can be so diametrically opposite in nearly every way is a curiousity given that they could very well end up as strike partners at next year's FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Canada.
With an outsized personality and the lethality in front of goal to match, Promise David is "not a guy you can hate," according to Canada teammate Nathan Saliba, who joined Union SG rivals Anderlecht in the summer and spent the last few minutes of his first start on Aug. 30 watching from the dressing room after receiving a red card. Minutes later, David scored Union's second goal in a 2-0 derby victory.
David's goalscoring exploits have continued into this season, with three goals in six league matches so far.
But his biggest goal came earlier this month, when Union SG travelled to Eindhoven to face PSV in the Champions League. The Canadian calmly stepped up to the penalty spot and drowned out the jeers from the PSV faithful, slamming home the first tally for any player in the 2025-26 Champions League season and Union's first ever UCL goal.
"I'm trying to act like it's not a real thing," he told The Footy Culture in July about playing in the Champions League.
"I don't even think I'll have the composure to bring out a celly (celebration)," he added, "I think I'll just be running around like a chicken."
David had previously shown that he could score at every level he's played at, but the Champions League is a new stratosphere for a man who only two years prior was playing in the Estonian third division. And while his actual celebration was nothing resembling that of poultry, David helped the Belgian side win their opening UCL match with his trademark flare.
There's still a lot of football to be played, but the affable striker helped push his team a tiny bit closer to his July prediction.
"I feel like we're gonna shock a lot of people with what we can do in Champions League," he said.
Union SG and David will get their next chance to play out their European dreams on Wednesday when the club welcome Newcastle United to Brussels, although the match will be played at Anderlecht's Lotto Park because Union's humble Joseph Marien Stadium does not meet Champions League standards.
Should Union SG, already up by six points in the Belgian Pro League's standings, register another head-turning result against the Magpies, there's little doubt that Promise David will be a big part of it.
How to watch the Champions League in the U.S. on DAZN
Soccer fans in the US can watch select matches in the Champions League in Spanish language as part of their DAZN subscription package.
Between September 25 - October 3, 2025 new customers can get a 20% discount on annual subscription.
An annual upfront payment is now $179.99 reduced from $224.99, while paying monthly for 12 months is $15.99 (down from $19.99) and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
CBS has coverage of every Champions League match in English language this season. You can get more details and subscribe to CBS's Champions League coverage here.
Fans can watch extra Champions League games in Spanish on ViX. A selection of those matches are also available on UNIMÁS and TUDN.
How to watch the Champions League in New Zealand on DAZN
Every Champions League game during the 2025-26 season is streamed in high-definition and comes as part of a DAZN subscription.
An annual subscription costs $14.99 per month for 12 months and also provides access to 185 fight nights a year across boxing, MMA, PFL, BKFC, Glory and much more.
How to watch the Champions League in Canada on DAZN
Watch every game of the Champions League this season in Canada with a DAZN subscription.
There are three subscription options, offering differing selections of sports in each. Access to every Champions League match is included in all three package offerings, ranging from $29.99 to $44.99 per month (for 12 months)
