Vancouver Whitecaps sign Canadian defender Ralph Priso to multi-year extension

Vancouver Whitecaps' Ralph Priso, front left, and Los Angeles FC's Nathan Ordaz vie for the ball during the first half of the MLS Western Conference semifinal playoff soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, November 22, 2025. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps have locked up defender Ralph Priso, signing the 24-year-old Canadian to a contract extension.

The team announced the move on Thursday, saying the new deal extends through the 2028-29 Major League Soccer season with a club option for the 2029-30 campaign.

Priso, who hails from Toronto, came to Vancouver via a trade with the Colorado Rapids in March 2024 and transitioned from a midfielder to a centre back last season.

He’s logged 79 appearances for the Whitecaps across all competitions, including 42 starts, and helped the team to a Canadian Championship title last fall, followed by its first appearance in the MLS Cup final in December.

Priso made his debut with the Canadian men’s national team in a friendly against Iceland in March, and was called up once again for the squad’s pre-World Cup training camp in May.

Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster says the five-foot-nine, 176-pound athlete has developed into a “more complete player” during his time in Vancouver.

“His growth over the past two seasons, both with our club and now at the international level, is a testament to the work he has put in and the environment we have created here,” Schuster said in a release.

“We’re very pleased that he has committed his future to the club, and we believe there is still much more to come from him.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 13, 2026.