The Halifax Wanderers announced Saturday that striker Tiago Coimbra has been transferred to Swedish top-flight club IFK Göteborg for a club-record fee.
The 22-year-old born Canadian international played three years in the CPL with Halifax, scoring 20 goals for the Wanderers in 64 appearances. Coimbra developed into a true CPL star in 2025, when he scored a career-high 12 regular season goals to finish second in the Golden Boot race.
Coimbra was named the CPL's Best U-21 Canadian Player for the 2025 campaign, rising above a stacked field of young talent. He tied the league's single-season record for goals by a U-21 player, and led the entire CPL in goals per 90 minutes (0.87).
He now becomes the latest CPL standout to make the move to Europe, joining Göteborg ahead of the upcoming Allsvenskan season beginning in April.
Göteborg finished fourth in the Swedish league last year, missing out on a UEFA Conference League spot by one point. One of the country's most historic sides, Göteborg have won 18 championships — second-most among Swedish clubs.
“Every young player dreams of getting a transfer to Europe. I’m excited, but it’s also bittersweet to be leaving Halifax,” Coimbra said.
“The Wanderers was my first pro contract, and I’ve grown and matured a lot. I came here with a dream, and now I leave with experiences, growth and memories. I want to say thank you to the fans for always supporting the Wanderers and for supporting me from the teenager who joined the team to the person I am now."
January has been a whirlwind month for Coimbra, who also earned his first call-up to the Canadian men's national team. He made his international debut for Jesse Marsch's side on Jan. 17, playing the final 27 minutes of Canada's 1-0 win over Guatemala.
Born in Fortaleza, Brazil, Coimbra moved to Vancouver as a child before returning to Brazil to pursue a soccer career. He ultimately spent two years in the Palmeiras academy, then joined Halifax in 2023 on his first professional contract.
“Its a true source of joy for me that our club has been able to help Tiago grow as both a young man and a footballer,” Wanderers Founder and Managing Partner Derek Martin said in a statement.
“Our club’s ethos is uniting our community through sport, providing top-tier entertainment and giving young men a platform to achieve their dreams; so Tiago’s journey embodies the essence of that ethos. I am immensely proud of him and look forward to his continued growth both on and off the pitch.”
Coimbra's move represents another success story of a young Canadian player getting his pro start in the CPL.
Costa Smyrniotis, Executive Vice President of the Canadian Premier League, pointed out that Coimbra is an ideal model for future young stars to follow.
"Tiago arrived in our league at 19 year old and, over the past three seasons, developed under the guidance of the Halifax Wanderers into one of the top young players in the country," Smyrniotis said.
"That journey led to a senior men’s national team call-up and now a move to Sweden. He’s a strong example of the kind of Canadian player we believe in: athletic, technically capable, competitive, and ambitious. His story is another example of how the CPL can be a meaningful platform for domestic players, while continuing to build credibility for Canadian talent internationally.
"Our ambition is to keep raising the bar, strengthen the league year over year, and ensure all our competitions, including the CPL and Premier Soccer Leagues Canada, continue to be places where value is created through competition and performance."
The former Wanderer is just the latest CPL standout to earn a move to a European club, and he'll have some familiar rivals to battle with in Sweden. There will now be a uniquely Canadian flavour to Gothenburg derby fixtures, when his IFK Göteborg go toe-to-toe with local rivals GAIS.
Former Atlético Ottawa stars Sam Salter and Matteo de Brienne — both fellow CPL award winners — now play for GAIS, and will compete in the Conference League next year.
Among other recent CPL alumni playing in Europe are the likes of Alessandro Hojabrpour, who recently joined FC Emmen in the Netherlands, as well as Grady McDonnell, who joined Club Brugge's youth side for the CPL's second-largest transfer fee. Meanwhile, ex-Forge FC striker Kwasi Poku made a league-record move to RWDM Brussels in 2024.
"Being the professional home for Canadian talent matters to us," Smyrniotis added. "We want Canadian players competing in a strong domestic league, with performances that carry weight across the global soccer landscape.
"Moves like this tell us that people outside Canada are paying attention, not just to individual players, but to the league itself and the level it is operating at."
Coimbra has now joined Göteborg as they begin pre-season in Portugal, and will aim to continue his excellent CPL form in his first campaign in Sweden.
Now that he's had his first taste of international football, as well, he's eager to remain on Marsch's radar.
Whatever he accomplishes in the rest of his career, however, Coimbra will never forget his time in Halifax and the CPL.
"The CPL may be a young league," he said, "but the level is very good, and I want to show the world what the CPL is about."
