On November 1, 2025, leading the York Lions 1–0 with 14 minutes left, the Varsity Blues sought a strong closeout as they looked to finally secure their first Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship in 15 years. Midfield Andrea Schifano fired a cross toward midfield Mehdi Essoussi, who delivered the dagger, capping off a historic season with the program’s 51st OUA banner.
With this win, Essoussi added another accolade to his already long list of individual accomplishments. Despite his standout year, the two-time OUA East all-star and 2025 U SPORTS All-Canadian attributes the team’s success to his teammates’ commitment. “That was the main thing; everyone bought into the project that we were trying to build,” he said in an interview with The Varsity, “and in the end, it ended up with us winning the championship.”
Born to play
All of the greats start from somewhere. For Essoussi, his journey began before he was even born, almost as if it were destined. Essoussi credits his father for igniting his passion for soccer at a young age: “My dad actually brought me a soccer ball before I was even born,” he recalled, “so I started playing at the age of four and just kept playing ever since.”
Caught at a crossroads
Essoussi embarked on a new chapter in his life as he moved from Ottawa to Toronto, and kick-started his professional career with the Reds, Toronto FC, in Major League Soccer (MLS). His contract with the Reds made him ineligible for university sports, when he came to U of T.
However, once his deal with the Reds expired, Essoussi explored his options, contemplating whether to stay in Toronto and finish his degree, or move on to another team. Eventually, he chose to stay in the city and play for the Varsity Blues until he graduated. “I saw that there was a good football program in place with coach Ilya [Orlov], so I talked to him and started training with them in the winter.”
Turning a setback into a comeback
Essoussi’s story is defined by setbacks as much as breakthroughs because pitfalls became his source of motivation to come back even stronger. “[In] my first season, I actually did not play at all; I had to sit out for the first couple of games due to OUA rules,” he stated. “I had to wait a year since my last game with Toronto FC, so during that period, I was training with the team but was not allowed to play.”
His preparation would not yet come into fruition after he suffered a foot injury in 2023 that ended his first season with the Blues before it even started. Despite this delay, Essoussi kept a positive attitude as he watched on the sidelines and continued with his recovery. He would soon get the payoff that he wanted and broke out as a sophomore, nabbing OUA East First Team honours and earning a spot in the 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL)-U SPORTS Draft.
Learning from the pros
Before he even took the field as a Varsity Blue, Essoussi’s time with the Toronto FC II, Toronto FC’s reserve and affiliate team, proved instrumental in building his confidence as a player. “I got to learn a lot by being around so many top-level professionals throughout the years.”
Being around the pros was not new for Essoussi when Vancouver FC drafted him as their 10th overall pick in the 2025 CPL-U SPORTS Draft. “I had someone representing me talk to teams that were interested in me, and in the end, we saw that Vancouver was a good fit for me.”
Essoussi participated in the team’s pre-season camp alongside Blues teammate and captain Niklas Hallam, where he impressed the coaching staff, earning himself a roster spot for the remainder of the season. “It was a great time in the winter, going back and forth between Toronto and Vancouver to take my exams and to go back and train, so it was really a hectic period, but I did my best, and in the end, it worked out,” Essoussi said.
Essoussi deems his stint in Vancouver as a new vantage point, as he was always with Toronto FC throughout his early professional career. Playing for a new club provided him with a fresh point of view on how other teams manage day-to-day operations in a professional setting.
Furthermore, Essoussi finally got the chance to play against other professional Canadian teams, an experience that taught him “that there’s a lot of potential and talent in Canada for the future.”
Essoussi came back with invaluable experience and noticeable growth from his time at Vancouver FC. “It allowed me to work on my skills and learn a lot of things from older guys,” he said. Ultimately, his development as a player throughout 15 CPL games played was crucial in helping the Varsity Blues achieve their best season in 2025 since 2010, when they last won the OUA.
When continuity meets unity
For Essoussi, the Blues’ success in the 2025 season shouldn’t be considered in isolation from previous seasons because roster continuity played a pivotal role in shaping what would be a championship-winning team. “I think that as a group, we had a lot of core players immersed in this environment for three to four years now, so we learned a lot as a group, and it culminated in the success we had this season.”
Essoussi attributes the team’s success to their collaboration and dedication over the years. Each member of the 26-man team was in sync, ready to sacrifice and do what was needed to reach their goal. “We had a lot of guys who were willing to listen to the coach and try it out, no matter what,” Essoussi said. “The most important thing was that everyone was on the same page and willing to do what it took to win.”
By winning the OUA this past year, the Blues men’s soccer team put themselves in the best possible position to bag their second U SPORTS title. They last clinched the number one seed while hosting the tournament at their home stadium in 1988. The result was a tough pill to swallow as the OUA second placers, the York Lions, became the eventual U SPORTS champions. Moreover, the Blues finished in sixth, falling to the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds, 1–2, in the consolation final.
Despite the outcome, Essoussi retains his faith in the team’s offseason regimen. He ascribes his team’s methods to its growing success in recent years. “It’s learning from the mistakes that we made this past season and then making sure that these things don’t happen again,” he added.
Juggling school and soccer
Essoussi likens the challenges he faces as a soccer player on the field to the difficulties he deals with as a student in a world-renowned institution. “As a student, you need to put in countless hours of homework and studying, projects, and attending classes,” he remarked. “It’s the exact same as an athlete; you need to put in a lot of hours of training and recovery, and that includes sleep.”
The computer engineering student finds company and assurance from his classmates, acknowledging that “pretty much everybody gets through it, and we figure it out in the end.”
Essoussi plans on staying on course, balancing both school and soccer, for as long as he can, while navigating what’s best for his future. For now, he aims to pursue a dual career that allows him to fulfill both of his passions, considering the opportunities they offer. “Computer engineering in the world of AI and machine learning is evolving so fast,” he commented. “There are so many opportunities in that space, and it’s something that really intrigues me as much as my love for football does.”
Essoussi acknowledges the volatility of a student-athlete’s career. “Once we are done with university, the chance to be part of a team, a competitive team, dissolves, and we really don’t have that anymore.” He advises aspiring U of T athletes to enjoy sports’ camaraderie: “You have four to five, maybe six years of a lot of fun with a group of people that you really enjoy spending your time with,” Essoussi said.
As the Blues return to build on their momentum and better this season’s result, Essoussi invites U of T students to watch the Blues men’s soccer in the OUA next year.
