Photo courtesy: Jared Wayne
When Jonathan David booted the ball into the stands in celebration during the Canadian Men’s National Team’s 6-0 rout of Qatar in the FIFA World Cup, it found an unlikely but apt target.
Canadian NFL receiver Jared Wayne took to social media on Friday to share that he was the one who caught the ball after David’s second goal of the game, which put Canada up by three on home soil at BC Place. The native of Peterborough, Ont., was wearing a Wayne Gretzky Team Canada hockey jersey as he secured the historic memento.
Nothing like being on the receiving end of a Jonathan David goal celebration! Incredible hat trick and #CANMNT’s first-ever #FIFAWorldCup victory. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/5WxNGYL7qw
— Jared Wayne (@jwayne_5) June 19, 2026
Wayne is currently under contract with the Houston Texans. He originally joined the team as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has spent the majority of his career on the practice roster. He dressed for three regular-season games in 2024 and one in 2025, catching two passes for 20 yards.
The six-foot-three, 210-pound target had a highly productive collegiate career at the University of Pittsburgh, making 146 catches for 2,308 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named second-team All-ACC with the Panthers in his final year of eligibility.
The 25-year-old’s CFL rights belong to the Toronto Argonauts, who selected him in the second round of the 2023 CFL Draft. His father, Patrick, attended Simon Fraser University in Burnaby and spent eight years in the CFL with the Ottawa Rough Riders, B.C. Lions, and Argonauts.
David added one more goal late in the game to complete the hat trick, as Canada recorded its first-ever World Cup victory. The team drew Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 in their tournament opener in Toronto, and currently sit tied atop Group B with four points heading into their final group stage game against Switzerland on Wednesday, June 24.
