Canadian Premier League team York United has been sold to Game Plan Sports, a newly formed investor group that has extensive ties to Mexican soccer.
Based in Toronto, York United was the first team to join the CPL in 2018. Since then, they have become one of Canada’s most turbulent franchises. The team underwent a re branding in 2020 after originally launching as York9. In 2023, they were purchased by the league after a mutual agreement with the original owners, the Ontario-based Baldassarra family, that the club needed new, clear direction. This next chapter for the team could feature a drastic step forward.
Eduardo, Ricardo and Miguel Pasquel make up the ownership group of Game Plan Sports. The brothers will relocate to Toronto to take charge of the club’s day-to-day operations, with Eduardo as CEO, Ricardo as President and CEO and Miguel as Commercial Director.
The Pasquel brothers’ ties to Mexican soccer are numerous: their uncle Alejandro Orvañanos is former president of the historic Club América of Liga MX and their father, Miguel Pasquel Sr., previously served as General Secretary and Financial Director of the Mexican Federation soccer. His grandparents have experience playing in Liga MX for teams like Club América, but more importantly, they previously owned professional franchises, including Club Necaxa.
The Pasquel brothers first expressed interest in buying York United in May. They soon spent a week in Toronto to better understand the market, its potential and the financial viability of owning the club. Given York United’s proximity to Toronto, Canada’s largest city, and Brampton, which has produced notable men’s national team players such as Tajon Buchanan, Jonathan Osorio and Cyle Larin, multiple sources said Game Plan Sports saw potential.
According to sources, several ownership groups have expressed interest and submitted bids to purchase York United. The figure paid by the club is the highest in CPL history, according to league commissioner Mark Noonan. The hope within the league is that this acquisition can improve the way the CPL is viewed in Canada and abroad.
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Leagues around the world welcome foreign investment through club ownership to inject much-needed money and resources into teams, but also to expand the reach of a club and league around the world. For a league that has just five seasons under its belt (two of those affected by the pandemic with a severe drop in box office revenue), continued foreign investment suggests interest in the CPL is growing.
One club, Atlético Ottawa, already has Atlético de Madrid as an owner. Now that Game Plan Sports and its ties to Mexican soccer are investing in the league, along with the 2026 World Cup exposure co-sponsored by Canada, there is hope that it could herald steps forward for the league, such as a salary increase. cap, which could improve the quality of players in the league and further growth and employment opportunities across the CPL.
York’s new ownership group is also believed to have been influenced by the growth of MLS shortly after the 1994 World Cup in the United States. They believe they can begin fostering young Canadian players with greater resources and create greater awareness for the club and the league when World Cup matches are held at Toronto’s nearby BMO Field in 2026.
Founded in 2018, foreign investment in the CPL could help growth, especially with the 2026 World Cup.
Negotiations took the next step when the current general secretary of the Mexican Football Federation, Iñigo Riestra, called CPL commissioner Mark Noonan to attest to the group’s credibility. This convinced the league of the seriousness of the offer and allowed them to begin investigating the potential the offer could offer.
One element of the ownership bid that attracted CPL is the brothers’ family connections with FEMSA, a multinational beverage and retail company that owns Mexican team CF Monterrey. Additionally, harsh winter weather is a challenge the league continues to face when it comes to ideal off-season training conditions. The CPL saw strategic value in the investment of a Mexican group with ties to CF Monterrey, as it could allow for pre-season training or tournaments with multiple CPL teams in Mexico to extend their season in the future.
Additionally, strengthening ties with foreign clubs gives way to loan deals for emerging CPL talents.
In the short term, York United are expected to continue playing at the York Lions Stadium. Game Plan Sports, however, will spend its first season investigating other potential locations for the team to play, according to sources briefed on the deal. An 8,000-seat soccer-specific proposal at Woodbine Racetrack remains a possibility for the team’s long-term home.
