Vancouver FC announced on Saturday that they had signed midfielder Ivan Mejia to a standard player contract through the end of the 2023 Canadian Premier League season.

“As we continue to improve the selection of our squad in hopes to qualify for the playoffs, we are thrilled to bring on Ivan Mejia,” said Afshin Ghotbi, Head Coach, Vancouver FC. “He brings a tremendous amount of energy, pace, and attacking quality as a shifty, inverted winger, who will be able to provide goal scoring opportunities.”

Mejia, 22, comes to VFC after spending the last two seasons with the TSS Rovers of League1 BC. The Colombian-Canadian made 11 regular season appearances and one playoff appearance for the Rovers in 2023. He scored six goals during the season, including a brace in a regular-season victory over Unity FC. 

Mejia also started both games for the Rovers during their Canadian Championship run this year. The midfielder scored the eventual game-winning goal against Valour FC in the preliminary round of the competition, which secured the League1 team’s historic first Canadian Championship victory over the Canadian Premier League (CPL) side.

“I’m so happy to sign my first professional contract with Vancouver FC,” says Mejia. “I have worked so hard for this moment and having it finally come through is a feeling that I can’t describe. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to play in my hometown with Vancouver FC and for management’s belief in me.”

During the 2022-23 U SPORTS season, Mejia represented the University of Fraser Valley, where he made all 15 starts for the Cascades. The first-year rookie scored two goals for UFV that season and played all 120 minutes of a playoff match against Mount Royal University that required extra time to decide the game.

In his amateur career, Mejia played for multiple teams including with FC Tigers of the Fraser Valley Soccer League, where he registered 10 goals in one season, as well as North Vancouver Football Club and BB5 United of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League.

The 22-year-old began playing soccer in Colombia with Deportivo Cali’s academy program before moving to Canada with his family when he was 14 years old. Mejia continued his youth career with Mountain United FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps academy.

Mejia will be eligible to make his Vancouver FC debut on August 6, 2023 against Valour FC, the only CPL team he has already registered a goal against.