Born in the youth teams of Palmeiras, forward Tiago Coimbra has again been called up for the U-20 team in Canada. This time, the 18-year-old has been called up to play against his country in the 2022 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, which takes place this month.

Learn more

Tiago Coimbra had already been called up by Canada Under-20 in April, to play friendlies in Costa Rica. The matches served as tests for the Canadian national team to scout players for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.

Learn more

The striker was signed by Palmeiras last season and because he has dual citizenship and has lived in the country, he quickly earned the nickname ‘Canada’ at the Alviverde base.

Tiago ‘Canada’ has played 11 games and scored four goals for Palmeiras U17 team in 2021. This season, the forward has been promoted to the U20 team.

Learn more

Which we celebrate with another call-up: Tiago Coimbra, “Canada”, has been called up to defend the Canadian national under-20 team 🇨🇦 ➤ https://t.co/1zDnWqorjA#AvantiPalestra#CriasDaAcademia https://t.co/f8dHeD4SFO pic.twitter.com/IoM79meEnE

— HE Palmeiras (@Palmeiras) April 7, 2022

Who is Tiago “Canada”?

Born in Fortaleza-CE, Tiago lived outside Brazil from age 9 to 16. The striker played for Faly Academy Soccer, a soccer academy in Canada. He also lived in the United States.

In 2020, the striker returned to Brazil and passed through the Juazeiro base, in Fortaleza-CE. Tiago took part in the Aldeia Cup, a grassroots championship in Recife, and caught the eye of a scout from Palmeiras, who recommended him for a trial at Alviverde.

The 17-year-old went through an evaluation period at the Palmeiras base, was approved and signed a contract. For the football dream, the striker left his family in Canada to play in Brazil.