| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 February 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Tunis, Tunisia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Nepean Hotspurs | |||
| 2011 | Ottawa Fury | ||
| 2010–2016 | Ottawa South United | ||
| 2017–2021 | Toronto FC | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023– | Toronto Varsity Blues | 14 | (2) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018 | Toronto FC III | 13 | (1) |
| 2019–2022 | Toronto FC II | 24 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Toronto FC (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Alliance United FC | 30 | (1) |
| 2025– | Vancouver FC | 15 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of August 15, 2025 | |||
Mehdi Essoussi (born 28 February 2001) is a Tunisian footballer who plays as a midfielder.
Essoussi was born in Tunis, Tunisia, before moving to Montreal, Canada, when he was one, followed by a move to Ottawa at age two. [1] He began playing youth soccer at age four with the Nepean Hotspurs SC, [1] before moving on to Ottawa South United [2] and spending some time in the Ottawa Fury Academy. [3] He then moved on to join the Toronto FC Academy. He also played with the Team Ontario provincial team and attended a Canada national team identification camp. [4]
In 2023, he began attending the University of Toronto, playing for the men's soccer team, making one appearance that season. [5] In 2024, he was named the team captain and was named an OUA East First Team All-Star. [6] [7]
In 2018, he began playing for Toronto FC III in the semi-professional League1 Ontario. He scored his first goal on 12 August against Sigma FC. [8] He was named a 2nd team all-star at the end of the season. [9]
On 27 September 2018, he signed his first professional contract with Toronto FC II to join them for the 2019 season. [10] [11] He made his debut on June 19 against the Lansing Ignite. [12] On 21 May 2022, he signed a short-term loan with the first team Toronto FC. [13]
In 2023, he began playing with Alliance United FC in League1 Ontario. [14]
At the 2025 CPL–U Sports Draft, Essoussi was selected in the second round (10th overall) by Vancouver FC. [15] On 24 March 2025, he signed a U-Sports contract with Vancouver for the 2025 season. [16] In August 2025, he departed the club to return to university, as per the terms of his U Sports contract, with the club retaining his rights for the 2026 season. [17]
Eligible to represent both his native Tunisia and Canada, he was called up to the Canadian under-15 national team camp in March 2016. [4] [1]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Toronto FC III | 2018 [19] | League1 Ontario | 13 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | |||
| Toronto FC II | 2019 | USL League One | 6 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | 15 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 15 | 0 | ||||||
| 2022 | MLS Next Pro | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Toronto FC (loan) | 2022 | Major League Soccer | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| Alliance United FC | 2023 [14] | League1 Ontario | 12 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2024 | League1 Ontario Premier | 18 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 0 | – | 19 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| Vancouver FC | 2025 | Canadian Premier League | 15 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 82 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 2 | ||