Tristan Borges has officially arrived in Europe.
The former Forge FC midfielder made his debut for Belgian second-tier team Oud-Heverlee Leuven Saturday, coming off the bench in a 2-1 win over Roselare.
Borges entered the game in in the 80th minute, long after back-to-back goals by Thomas Henry sealed the win for OHL in the 33rd and 34th minutes.
Borges moved to the Belgian side in January after earning MVP honours with Forge in 2019. A 21-year-old native of Toronto, Borges was unquestionably the biggest story of the Canadian Premier League’s inaugural season.
79' | 2-1 | Borges staat klaar om zijn debuut te maken.#OHLROE
— Oud-Heverlee Leuven (@OHLeuven) February 1, 2020
After toiling in relative obscurity, Borges signed his first pro contract with Forge last January and quickly announced himself to the Canadian soccer community with a breakout CPL campaign in 2019.
Borges scored a league-high 13 goals (including the winner in Leg 1 of Finals 2019), while also winning plaudits for his dynamic attacking style and the strength of his overall game.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed by Forge FC, but a source told CanPL.ca that the transfer fee ranges between $300,000 and $500,000.
Saturday’s win pulls OH Leuven to fifth in the Belgian second division table with 14 points from 10 matches. The club won the league’s “first phase” in 2019, guaranteeing a spot in the division’s promotion playoff to the Belgian First Division.
Leuven’s next match is slated for next Saturday when they host Lommel United.
De drie dik verdiende punten zijn binnen!??
Lees hier het wedstrijdverslag ? https://t.co/G51dYb6ox8#samensterker #ohlroe pic.twitter.com/BEaRDcN4Mj
— Oud-Heverlee Leuven (@OHLeuven) February 1, 2020