Austin FC acquired Jayden Nelson via a trade with Vancouver Whitecaps FC in December 2025. He has two goals in six starts to date during his first year in Verde & Black.
At the senior international level, Nelson has made 14 appearances for Canada and was selected to the Canada roster for FIFA World Cup 2026, making him the first active Austin FC player to represent the Club at a World Cup. His three international goals include one against Uzbekistan in a pre-World Cup friendly and one against Cuba in a 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup match.
In 2025 with the Whitecaps, he scored a goal and tallied three assists in a 4-1 win over Portland on his debut. He went on to make 40 appearances across all competitions in 2025 as Vancouver won the Canadian Championship and reached both the MLS Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup finals, totaling three goals and 11 assists.
Originally from Ontario, Nelson came through the Toronto FC academy and made his MLS debut with Toronto in 2020. In 2022, he played 45 minutes in the Canadian Championship Final, which Toronto won on penalties.
After three (3) seasons with TFC, Nelson transferred to Norwegian side Rosenborg in February 2023 where he contributed eight (8) goals and eight (8) assists in 44 games before joining SSV Ulm in the German second division on loan in August 2024. He then returned to MLS the following January, joining Vancouver prior to the start of the 2025 season.
