Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse invests in AFC Toronto City

The GIST: AFC Toronto City — the third club in Canada’s prospective pro women’s soccer league Project 8 — announced an exciting investment from legendary Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse on Wednesday, awarding him an ownership stake in the team. That definitely tracks.

The project: Project 8 was co-founded by former NWSL and CanWNT star Diana Matheson to develop an eight-team women’s soccer league in Canada. While it hopes to kick off in April 2025, only three teams are confirmed so far: Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.

• While much of the league’s structure is under construction, Project 8 already has official league membership status with Canada Soccer, a crucial step toward realizing its goals. The league also has four founding partners in CIBC, Air Canada, Canadian Tire, and DoorDash. It’s giving PWHL.

The investor: De Grasse is deeply invested in the local community through the Andre De Grasse Family Foundation, and as a former youth player with Toronto Azzurri, he immediately recognized the growth potential of a pro women’s team in Toronto and reached out when Project 8 went public last April.

• De Grasse was also inspired by the growth of the Canadian Elite Basketball League and Ryan Reynolds’ Wrexham A.F.C. ownership, both which demonstrate the power of community in sport.