Canada Could Lose One Of Its MLS Teams as CF Montréal Announce Sale Process

Joey Saputo is preparing to end his family's more than three-decade involvement in professional soccer in Montréal, announcing Monday that CF Montréal is officially on the market.

The club's longtime owner has launched a structured sale process to find new ownership for the Major League Soccer franchise, which the Saputo family has controlled since its early days as the Montreal Impact in 1993. The team joined MLS in 2012.

The family has hired BMO Capital Markets as its lead financial advisor, with National Bank of Canada Capital Markets serving as co-advisor. The process will be conducted in coordination with MLS, with the stated priority of attracting investors from Québec who have the financial resources and commitment to support the club's future.

At a press conference at Stade Saputo, Joey Saputo said he would prefer to see the team remain in Montréal but stopped short of making that a condition of the sale. "I would love for the club to stay here in Montréal, 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 will take," he said.

Saputo also made it clear that he would not accept a lower offer simply to guarantee the franchise stays in the city. Any potential relocation would have to be approved by MLS.

The announcement comes after a particularly difficult year for the organization. CF Montréal finished the 2026 MLS season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with six wins, eight draws and 20 losses, marking the worst campaign in franchise history. The team also lost the Canadian Championship final to Canadian Premier League side Forge FC, while frustrated supporters organized boycotts of several matches.

Saputo insisted that the decision to sell was not a reaction to the team's results or its financial situation. Rather, he described it as the end of a chapter after more than 30 years overseeing the franchise. The family will remain involved in the club's operations throughout the transition. President and CEO Gabriel Gervais, along with Luca Saputo and Simone Saputo, will retain their current positions, and no immediate changes to the team's activities are planned.

The Saputos also intend to continue pursuing the establishment of Canada Soccer's National Training Centre in Montréal. The family has indicated it would make a substantial investment in that project, which could eventually serve as a home for CF Montréal, its academies and Soccer Québec.

Though no asking price has been revealed, Forbes estimated the value of the CF Montréal franchise at around $440 million USD, making it one of the least valuable teams in the league.