Montreal might lose its MLS team — Here's what we know

Montreal soccer fans were hit with some unsettling news on Monday.

CF Montréal is officially up for sale. Owner Joey Saputo announced that he's launching a process to sell the club, ending more than three decades of ownership by the Saputo family.

The news comes after a difficult 2026 campaign, in which CF Montréal finished with the worst regular-season record in MLS, logging just six wins throughout 34 matches.

In a statement, the club said the priority is to give "the right Québec-based investors" an opportunity to come forward. BMO Capital Markets has been hired to lead the sale, with National Bank of Canada as co-advisor, and the process will be carried out in coordination with Major League Soccer.

But Saputo admitted that keeping the team in Montreal isn't a sure thing.

"I would love for the club to stay here in Montreal, but if the club doesn't find a local buyer and I get an offer and the club needs to be relocated, then I have no choice and that's the decision I would take," Saputo said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "I will not discount the club to the point of just giving it away just for the sake of giving it away."

Any relocation would still need the approval of MLS. Still, it's a scenario Montreal sports fans know all too well. The Expos were moved to Washington after the 2004 season, leaving the city without a Major League Baseball team.

Saputo, who also serves as the owner of Serie A club Bologna FC, insisted that the decision to sell wasn't driven by any particular circumstance, describing the club as "stable, well positioned and part of a growing league and market."

"After more than three decades of commitment, we believe this is the appropriate time to begin the process of identifying new ownership for CF Montréal," he said.

He also pointed to the Olympic Stadium as a reason for optimism. The club has been in talks to play at the Big O once its interior renovations are complete, and Saputo said his family would make "a substantial investment" to help bring Canada Soccer's National Training Centre to Montreal. If successful, the centre could become the new home of CF Montréal and its academies.

"Today, there is a clearer path forward, particularly with the Olympic Stadium and in our pursuit of Canada Soccer's National Training Centre," Saputo said.

In the meantime, the club says it will continue to operate as usual, with no changes to its day-to-day operations or sporting activities. Gabriel Gervais, Luca Saputo and Simone Saputo will remain in their current roles. No timeline has been given for a sale.

The Saputo family has been involved in professional soccer in Montreal since 1993, when the club was known as the Montreal Impact. The team joined MLS in 2012 and rebranded as CF Montréal in 2021.