Scott Kennedy (soccer)

Scott Fitzgerald Kennedy (born March 31, 1997) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a centre-back for Austrian Bundesliga club Wolfsberger AC and the Canada national team.

Early career
Kennedy moved to Germany as an 18-year-old, signing with SBC Traunstein in 2015, and later with FC Amberg in 2016. Kennedy would move to Austria in June 2017, joining Austrian Regionalliga West club SV Grödig. In July 2018, he signed with Austria Klagenfurt.

Jahn Regensburg
In August 2020, Kennedy joined then 2. Bundesliga side Jahn Regensburg on a three-year contract. He made his debut on October 31 against SC Paderborn. Kennedy's performances in his first season impressed, particularly in the 2020–21 DFB-Pokal, during which Regensburg knocked out Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln to advance to the quarter-finals.

Kennedy's third season was marked by club struggles and injury, including a shoulder injury that forced him out of Canada's team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At the end of the season Jahn Regensburg was relegated to the 3. Liga, and Kennedy departed the club upon the expiration of his contract.

Wolfsberger AC
In July 2023, Austrian Bundesliga side Wolfsberger AC announced they had signed Kennedy to a two-year contract with an option for a third.

International career
While with Regensburg, Kennedy began to get interest in representing Canada internationally. On 26 May 2021, Jahn Regensburg confirmed Kennedy had been called up to Canada for their upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He made his debut for Canada on 8 June in the match against Suriname, playing the full 90 minutes in a 4–0 victory. On 1 July, he was named to the final squad of the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, but was replaced 9 days later by Frank Sturing for medical reasons.

In late October 2022, Kennedy suffered a shoulder injury in a league match that his coach Mersad Selimbegovic confirmed would sideline him for "a few months," ruling him out of consideration for the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.

In June 2023, Kennedy was called-up to the final 23-man squad contesting the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. On 19 June, he was called-up to the final squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. On 9 July, during Canada's Quarter-final match against the United States, Kennedy would score an own-goal leading to a 2-2 draw. Canada would then lose 2–3 during the subsequent penalty shootout, eliminating them from the tournament.

Personal life
Kennedy is of German descent through his mother, and holds dual Canadian-German citizenship.