Klaidi Cela Bio
Klaidi Cela (born July 16, 1999) is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played as a defender for the Richmond Kickers in USL League One. Standing 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, he has spent much of his career in North American leagues while also gaining experience abroad in Portugal and Kosovo. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Cela is eligible to represent both Canada and Albania through his family background.
Across nearly a decade as a professional, Cela has competed in the Canadian Premier League, USL Championship, USL League One, MLS Next Pro, the Portuguese third tier, and the Football Superleague of Kosovo. He is a two-time Canadian Premier League champion with Forge FC and has worked his way up from youth academies to senior football on two continents.
Early Life and Background
Klaidi Cela was born on July 16, 1999, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He began playing youth soccer at age four with the Mississauga Falcons SC, a local club that helped shape his early development. Growing up in a major soccer market near Toronto gave him access to strong youth competition from a young age.
In October 2012, Cela joined the Toronto FC Academy, one of the most respected youth development programs in Major League Soccer. The move to Toronto FC’s academy gave him access to professional-level coaching and competitive matches at the youth level. Cela has cited his Albanian heritage, as his parents were born in Albania, which made him eligible to represent both Canada and Albania internationally.
Cela entered the Canadian national team program in 2013, attending a Canada U15 camp in November of that year, and returned for another camp in September 2014. In October 2015, he received his first call-up to the Canada U18 team for a pair of friendlies against the United States U18, and he featured in both matches. Those early national team experiences confirmed his standing as one of the country’s promising young defenders.
Path to Professional Soccer
Cela’s path to senior football began in 2015 when he started playing with Toronto FC III in League1 Ontario. He also spent time with Toronto FC II in the USL Championship that same year, signing an academy player agreement in May 2015. His professional debut came on September 24, 2015, when he came off the bench against the Rochester Rhinos.
In 2016, Cela signed with Campeonato de Portugal club Gafanha, where he would play for two seasons and gain his first experience as a professional in Europe. After leaving Gafanha, he returned to Canada in 2018 and spent the remainder of that season with Sigma FC in League1 Ontario. That move set the stage for his entry into the Canadian Premier League the following year.
In April 2019, Cela signed with Canadian Premier League side Forge FC, a major step up to a fully professional domestic league. He scored his first professional goal on October 2, 2019, in a 1-0 victory over FC Edmonton, and won the league title with the club that same year. The 2019 CPL title marked the first major silverware of his senior career and established him as a dependable defender at the professional level.
Klaidi Cela Career
Early Career (2015-2018)
Cela’s senior career began with stints in the Toronto FC system, including appearances for both Toronto FC III in League1 Ontario and Toronto FC II in the USL Championship. His debut for Toronto FC II on September 24, 2015, came in a substitute appearance against the Rochester Rhinos. Those early matches gave him a taste of the professional game while still developing within the academy framework.
In 2016, Cela made the move abroad to join Gafanha in Portugal’s Campeonato de Portugal, where he spent two seasons adjusting to European football. Returning to Canada in 2018, he linked up with Sigma FC in League1 Ontario for the remainder of that season, helping him rebuild match fitness and prepare for a return to a higher level of competition.
Forge FC Era (2019-2021)
Cela signed with Forge FC in April 2019, joining one of the founding clubs of the Canadian Premier League. He wasted little time making an impact, scoring his first goal on October 2, 2019, in a 1-0 win over FC Edmonton, and lifted the CPL title with the club that same year. In January 2020, he re-signed with Forge for an additional season, signaling the club’s confidence in his development.
On August 19, 2020, Cela tore his ACL in a match against the HFX Wanderers, an injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. Despite his absence, Forge won the CPL title again in 2020, and Cela departed the club after that campaign. He returned to Sigma FC of League1 Ontario in 2021 before rejoining Forge on a short-term emergency loan in August of that year, eventually signing for the rest of the 2021 CPL season.
Toronto FC II and Valour FC (2022-2023)
In March 2022, Cela signed with MLS Next Pro side Toronto FC II, returning to the Toronto FC system as a more experienced player. He began the 2023 season with League1 Ontario side Vaughan Azzurri, where he played in the 2023 Canadian Championship against Major League Soccer club CF Montréal. That Canadian Championship appearance gave him valuable experience against top-flight opposition.
In April 2023, Cela signed with Canadian Premier League club Valour FC after injuries to Matthew Chandler and Andrew Jean-Baptiste created an opening in the squad. He provided defensive depth for the Winnipeg-based side through the rest of the 2023 campaign. The move kept him active in the CPL and added another Canadian top-flight club to his resume.
Abroad: Liria Prizren and Richmond Kickers (2024-2025)
In February 2024, Cela signed with Liria Prizren in the Football Superleague of Kosovo, returning to European football for the first time since his Gafanha days. The Kosovo Superleague spell gave him a fresh challenge abroad and broadened his exposure to a different style of play. In August 2024, he returned to North America, signing with the Richmond Kickers in USL League One.
Cela played the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Richmond Kickers before departing at the end of the 2025 campaign. On January 23, 2026, he joined KF Skënderbeu in the Kategoria e Parë, and he made his debut for the Albanian club in a 1-0 win over KF Besa. The Skënderbeu move ties back to his Albanian heritage and marks the next chapter of his international career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cela’s strengths as a player include his physical presence at 1.90 m, his versatility across the back line, and his comfort in both possession-based and direct styles of play. He has shown the ability to read the game from a central defensive position, while also stepping into holding midfield roles when needed, as seen during his time in Portugal and Kosovo.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Cela’s career came in 2019, when he scored his first professional goal for Forge FC and won the Canadian Premier League title in the same season. Winning a second CPL title with Forge in 2020, despite missing the latter part of the year with an ACL injury, added to his trophy haul. His 2023 Canadian Championship appearance against CF Montréal and his 2026 move to KF Skënderbeu also stand out as career milestones.
Klaidi Cela Career Wins
Cela’s trophy cabinet features two Canadian Premier League titles won with Forge FC in 2019 and 2020, the club’s first two league championships. He has yet to claim silverware in the USL system, the Portuguese third tier, or the Kosovo Superleague, but his championship pedigree in Canada remains the headline of his resume.
Canadian Premier League Highlights
Cela won back-to-back CPL titles with Forge FC in 2019 and 2020, becoming part of the league’s earliest championship-winning core. He also scored his first professional goal for Forge on October 2, 2019, in a 1-0 win over FC Edmonton, a result that helped shape the club’s title-winning run. Although an ACL injury in August 2020 limited his 2020 contributions, he was still part of the championship squad that season.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of the Canadian Premier League, Cela has not recorded major team titles, though he has logged competitive minutes across the USL Championship, MLS Next Pro, the Campeonato de Portugal, the Football Superleague of Kosovo, and USL League One. His 2023 Canadian Championship appearance with Vaughan Azzurri against CF Montréal is one of the more notable single-match performances of his career.
Klaidi Cela Family
Family Background and Heritage
Klaidi Cela was raised in Mississauga, Ontario, in a family with Albanian roots. His parents were born in Albania, which made him eligible to represent both Canada and Albania at the international level. That dual eligibility has shaped parts of his career path, including his 2026 move to KF Skënderbeu in Albania.
Personal Life
Cela has kept most of his personal life out of the public eye, and details about his relationships, marital status, and children are not publicly confirmed. He is known to have been based across several cities during his career, including Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Prizren, often following his club commitments. As of his move to KF Skënderbeu, he is continuing his professional career in Albania.
2025 Season Performance
Cela spent the 2025 season with the Richmond Kickers in USL League One, his second and final year with the Virginia-based club. The Kickers used his experience at the back to provide stability through a long USL League One campaign, with Cela offering veteran leadership in central defense. He departed the Kickers at the end of the 2025 season.
Although specific 2025 match statistics for Cela are not publicly listed, his role within the Richmond squad pointed to a season of consistent selection and dependable defensive work. The Kickers’ 2025 campaign allowed him to stay match-sharp while planning his next move. His 2025 form in Virginia was strong enough to attract a January 2026 transfer to KF Skënderbeu in Albania’s Kategoria e Parë.
Looking ahead, Cela’s 2026 transfer to KF Skënderbeu signals a return to a country connected to his family background. He made his debut for the club in a 1-0 win over KF Besa, and the move offers him a chance to compete in European football closer to his Albanian heritage. The 2025 Richmond campaign served as the bridge between his North American career and this new chapter abroad.