Draft:Finn Linder

Finn Linder (born 6 May 2004) is a Canadian-born New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Whitecaps FC 2 in the MLS Next Pro, a men's professional soccer league affiliated with Major League Soccer.

Early life
Linder was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and played youth football with Calgary Blizzard SC. During his time there he travelled to Wigan Athletic F.C. as a trialist. He was named to Team Alberta in both 2017 and 2018 where he made the team of distinction. He then joined the Whitecaps FC Alberta Academy Centre playing with them from 2017 to 2020 attending a number of High Performance Player Combines, before moving to the official Whitecaps FC Academy in 2020. In 2022, he started his professional career with Whitecaps FC 2.

Vancouver Whitecaps
In March 2022, Linder signed a contract with Whitecaps FC 2. He made his professional debut on 6 June 2022 against Real Monarchs. He scored his first goal on 12 June against local rivals Tacoma Defiance. The 2022 season saw Linder start 12 games as one of the youngest players on the roster. Linder's contract was renewed at the end of the 2022 season for 2023. The 2023 season saw Linder miss games for international duty and injury. He underwent surgery in October 2023 for a dislocated shoulder suffered during the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Despite these setbacks Linder's contract was renewed for the 2024 season. Linder has been identified as a player to watch for the upcoming season.

Youth
Linder is eligible for Canada through birth, and New Zealand through parentage. In March 2023, he was named in the New Zealand U23 squad for two games against China U23 in preparation for the upcoming OFC Olympic qualifying campaign. He was named to the New Zealand U20 squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina and made his international debut against the host nation in the group stage.