RISE UP
Soccer savant Jonathan David has a knack for scoring and a razor-sharp
fashion sense. Known colloquially as “the Iceman,” he is pretty smooth, indeed. But there’s more to him than meets the eye.
WORDS BY NATALIE MICHIE
Jonathan David is keeping his cool. It’s an uncharacteristically brisk July afternoon in downtown Ottawa — taken over by a rotation of wind, rain and gloomy grey clouds — and the soccer sensation is a far cry from the field. He’s balancing on a ledge over the Rideau Canal, theatrically windmilling his arms in the air. He’s running in slow motion up the stairs of a bridge underpass, turning back to the camera between possibly treacherous leaps. He’s standing on a bench atop a multi-storey office building, stabilizing a soccer ball under his shoe. For the sake of his FASHION cover shoot, the world-renowned athlete is exerting himself in new ways. But if David is uncomfortable, he doesn’t show it. You see, this Canadian sports star exudes impenetrable ease. There’s a reason they call him “the Iceman,” after all.
“I like the fact that I don’t give much away,” he tells me with a slight smile when we sit down to chat between outfit changes. “It’s hard to read me. I try to keep it that way.” And I can see why: This intentional inaccessibility has served him very well.
Top, $2,350, pants, $3,200, brooch, $590, and ring, $620, Dior Men. Shoes, $850, JW Anderson at Ssense.
At 24 years old, David is creating a legacy that has already been marked by history-making accolades. He broke a record as Canada’s most-expensive soccer-player transfer, which made him the striker for France’s top-division Lille team. He also plays on Canada’s national team. He has scored more goals for Lille than any other player in the 21st century. And this past summer, he secured the winning point for Canada against Peru at Copa América, South America’s top soccer tournament, marking the country’s first-ever victory in the coveted competition. As if this record weren’t evidence enough, his podcast Strikers Corner further demonstrates his dedication to the sport.
Simply put, the role of a striker is to score goals — lots of them. Even those utterly unfamiliar with soccer can understand the weight this holds. In a team-based sport, it’s a big, sometimes-solitary burden to bear. Luckily, it’s a role that David is extremely skilled at. Once you witness his playing style — his never-cracking composure, confident boldness and impressive ability to score with both feet — his unmeltable moniker makes perfect sense. He has been described as a nightmare to play against, a silent assassin and the symbol for a new generation. But if you ask him about it, he’ll say he’s just doing his job.
To my surprise, the personality behind this larger-than-life player is calm and collected. When I first shake his hand, there’s a timid, unassuming politeness to his physicality — nothing like the slick attacker on the field. He speaks in a soft-yet-decisive tone. His responses are short and straightforward. He doesn’t smile often, but there’s a kindness in his eyes. Equal parts gracious and guarded, he’s a true team player — hence his risk-taking photo-shoot participation — and the last person to hype himself up. How did he feel about making history at Copa América, for instance? “I didn’t see it that way; I just thought of it as an important goal for the team,” he offers diplomatically. I get the sense that access to his inner emotions — breaking the ice, if you will — is something you have to earn.
Top and pants, prices upon request, Bottega Veneta.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., David spent the first six years of his life in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with his parents and older sister before they moved to Ottawa in 2006. Those early days are when his soccer obsession started. He remembers admiring his dad’s devotion to the game, gathering in a group to watch the World Cup and scrimmaging on the streets with his peers. As Haiti’s national sport, soccer was not just a pastime but a connection to his roots. A kid who was shy by nature, David had an enthusiasm for the activity that helped him find community once he came to Canada.
Despite sometimes outperforming older, more experienced players, David says he never propped himself up as a prodigy — even if others did. “I’m a very calm guy; I don’t get ahead of myself,” he says in a laid-back lilt. “I just took the compliments and kept working toward the greater goal of mine, which was to become a pro.” Against the odds, he was supremely successful. In 2018, 17-year-old David moved to Belgium to play for Gent in the Belgian Pro League. The coach who helped him get there, Hanny El-Magraby, provided guidance that transcended soccer. “He always told me, ‘It’s good to be a good player, because people remember you for that, but it’s even better to be a good person,’” David recalls. “That has stuck with me my whole life.” And in his line of work, wisdom like this makes all the difference.
“I’m a very calm guy; I don’t get ahead of myself. I just took the compliments and kept working toward the greater goal of mine, which was to become a pro.”
It’s an undeniably demanding existence, filled with powerful peaks and isolating lows. Arguably the most jarring example of this dichotomy happened early in David’s career. In December 2019, when he was 19 and living on his own in Belgium, his mother passed away from cancer. The following summer, he was transferred to Lille for $46.5 million. How does one begin to balance a trail-blazing professional highlight with such an unimaginable personal loss? “It was a very difficult time for me and my family, because, you know, you don’t expect it,” David shares of his parent’s passing.
Jacket, $15,900, top, $2,330, and pants, $2,020, Louis Vuitton Men’s.
He describes himself as a “mama’s boy,” adding that he was particularly close to his mom growing up. “It was almost like a glue,” he says of their bond, interlocking his fingers with magnetic force. Even though she’s no longer here, his mom continues to be his motivator. “You never get over that loss, but with time, everything just gets better,” he reflects. This outlook, I come to realize, is distinctly indicative of who he is.
"you have to remember that what you’re doing is a blessing.”
During our conversation, each answer and anecdote is punctuated with positivity. Making friends after emigrating from Haiti was actually pretty easy, and resettling in Belgium when he was a teen was lonely at times. But, he says, “you have to love being by yourself.” Moving around so much for work can be exhausting (with the ever-present possibility of being transferred to a new team), but David is deeply grateful for what he does. It’s clear that he’s not someone who complains very often, if at all.
This comes through in his determination to play with joy, a standard he sets for himself in every game. “When you’re younger, it’s all about joy,” he explains. “As you get older, it becomes a job…. But you have to keep the joy and forget the pressure, because the pressure is always going to come. You’re under pressure — at every training, at every game — to perform. So you have to remember that what you’re doing is a blessing.”
Blazer, $5,395, top, $2,455, pants, $2,770, shoes, $1,375, and tie, $285, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello.
Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. To be an athlete at this level is to be given something of a superhero image. You’re expected to have Herculean reflexes with unwavering mental toughness to match. And in the age of social media, when the pros are plastered all over never-ending feeds, the sensationalism is even more swift. But by maintaining a level of mystique, David toes the line between his public-facing profession and his private personal life. “When you’re the quietest in the room, you can observe and read it,” he notes. On the pitch, his reserved disposition keeps him sharp, allowing him to predict his opponents’ plans. Thanks to this subtle intensity, David has been credited with bringing a refreshing simplicity to the game. Naturally, that lends itself to his sartorial tastes.
Like soccer, fashion is an art form and at times a performance — but it’s one that David doesn’t complicate. He is never drawn to something just for the designer label, and his approach to getting dressed is unclouded by the clout of high-end logos or exorbitant price tags. Still, his particular taste shines through — right down to what he wears to practice. Preferring the fit of long pants but the look of shorts, he’s known for cropping his trousers to hit just below the knee — a personal style choice that also helps him play. David’s off-the-field ensembles strike this same balance of practicality and DIY drip. From slacks with unique tailoring to crisp tees, his looks are always polished but never over-thought. His eye for fashion led to an ongoing partnership with Adidas as well as a collaboration with marketing agency Fly Nowhere in 2021.
The result was a limited-edition streetwear collection by cult-favourite boutique Union Los Angeles, with all of its proceeds going to help young soccer players in Haiti.“It was very important to me because this is my background, this is where I come from,” David says of the initiative. This may have been his first philanthropic foray, but he says it won’t be his last. His goal? To start his own foundation or soccer academy either in Haiti or Ottawa. “Even though I made it out, there are a lot of players I knew growing up who had so much talent — who were as good as or even better than I was — but didn’t get the same opportunity.”
No matter where he goes, David stays grounded in his heritage. He carries Canadian and Haitian cultures with him, referring to both places as formative foundations. “From Canada, I learned humbleness and kindness,” he reflects. “And from Haiti, I get that swagger and confidence.” Walking around Ottawa with David, I can see this beautiful background come to life.
Toward the end of the day, David’s sister arrives with her infant son and some family from out of town. They’re squeezing in one more family dinner before he catches the red-eye back to France. The sun has just begun to peek out from behind the clouds, pushing aside the overcast blanket with a beam of bright light. We’re saying our goodbyes, and as David plays with his nephew, his face lights up in a way I haven’t seen all day. I’m immediately taken back to a standout moment in our interview — the only part of a nearly-hour-long conversation that had him somewhat stumped. “What brings you peace?” I had asked. After a longer-than-expected pause, he responded, “I think just knowing that my family is taken care of and has nothing to worry about.”
That’s the thing about this soccer superstar: Underneath all the acclaim, he’s just a genuine guy who wants to see those closest to him happy. Sure, he may be a chart-topping champion who has faced unfathomable feats and who is set to reach even more stratospheric heights. But for David, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES NICHOLAS MERZETTI
STYLING & CREATIVE DIRECTION BY GEORGE ANTONOPOULOS
HAIR & MAKEUP Veronica Chu. LIGHTING TECHNICIAN Alejandro Silva Cortes. VIDEOGRAPHER Shayne Gray.