Olliewood is getting a new area code.
Inter Toronto announced the signing of former CPL Player of the Year Ollie Bassett on Monday. He joins the club on a guaranteed contract through 2027, with club options for 2028 and 2029.
After spending the past season playing with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship, the 27-year-old returns to the league with plenty of pedigree. During four CPL seasons, one with Pacific FC and then three in the nation's capital with Atlético Ottawa, he won a North Star Cup (2021), CPL Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and a regular season title (2022), and a Golden Boot (2023).
Now, he takes a trip down the 401 to join Inter Toronto at a time when the newly rebranded club is looking to take the next step on the field as well — and in search of its first-ever silverware. Bassett could be the perfect piece to take them from perennial playoff team to a true contender.
Stylistically, it is a great fit. Under first-year head coach Mauro Eustáquio, Toronto played an exciting attacking brand of football that led to a single-season club record of 43 goals scored. They play a style that emphasizes their attackers playing more centrally, largely in a 3-4-3, the spaces in which Bassett thrived during his time in the CPL.
Across his four seasons in the league, Bassett had the joint sixth-most goals (24), joint sixth-most assists (12), and third-most chances created (143). Best situated as an attacking midfielder, but capable of playing anywhere across the front line, he will bring versatility to a deep and fluid York attacking unit.
Bassett is also, crucially, excellent at creating goals and chances from dead-ball situations. York scored just seven times from set pieces in 2025, the second fewest in the league, and this could be a big area of potential growth for their attack in 2026.
The club also has plenty of lethal scorers, such as Julian Altobelli and Massimo Ferrin, to finish off the frequent chances that Bassett creates. With players like Kembo Kibato and Steffen Yeates in midfield, he will be given the freedom to operate further forward and hunt for spaces to influence matches.
From a rivalry standpoint, the signing adds more fuel to an already combustible fixture between Toronto and Atlético Ottawa, with one of their six meetings this season setting a CPL record for most fouls in a single match. Atleti fans are none too pleased that Bassett's return to the league comes with a rival.
Inter Toronto, meanwhile, are looking to narrow the gap between themselves and Ontario rivals Atleti, who won the CPL Final this year, as well as CPL Shield champions Forge FC.
Signing a player of Bassett's calibre is a statement of intent to the rest of the league that Inter Toronto doesn't only come with a new name, but a refreshed intent to push the CPL's traditional powers in 2026.
