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Last Saturday, CF Montréal wrapped up its worst season in MLS history. Just 26 points in 34 games is very few in soccer, considering that a win earns the winning team three points.
Never before has CF Montréal—or the Impact—earned fewer than 28 points in an MLS season.
After Saturday's game, CF Montréal made Prince Owusu, Brayan Vera, and Brandan Craig—all recipients of individual annual honors—available to the media. We all thought something was off; usually, they speak before Luca Saputo at the end-of-season wrap-up.
In fact, we still hadn't been invited to any end-of-season wrap-up as of this morning.
However, members of the media received an email around 9:00 a.m. this morning, inviting them to attend a press conference during which Joey Saputo will provide an update on the future of CF Montréal. Joey will speak with us about his family's involvement with CF Montréal and the club's long-term future.
Joey Saputo will meet with the media to discuss the future of #CFMTL.
The press conference will take place at 4:00 p.m. today and is organized by National.
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) November 9, 2026
Do I need to remind you that when Joey Saputo speaks to the media, it's usually about major news? He hasn't held a press conference in Montreal in four or five years.
Note that the press conference is organized by National, not CF Montréal.
Positive or negative?
No one knows (yet?) exactly what will be announced later this afternoon. Staff members were briefed around 10:00 a.m. this morning. Let's take stock of the positive signs… and the negative ones.
Optimism: Let's be honest, there aren't many positive signs. However, one could argue that if this were the end of the road for CF Montréal, the club wouldn't have planned a video presentation before the owner's speech.
Furthermore, the Sprint Season schedule has been released, and based on what I was told as recently as last week, it would be difficult to remove CF Montréal from this competition just to make room for another city and another “organization” that doesn't even exist yet. It takes time to launch a new team in a new city…
It would therefore be VERY surprising to see CF Montréal disband this afternoon.
Pessimism: There are currently far more negative signs than positive ones.
Ever since the loss to the Forge, there have been rumors that CF Montréal is up for sale and that it was offered to several Quebec investors last spring (according to Jeremy Filosa). Last week, Filo even went so far as to say that Luc Poirier had briefly spoken with Joey Saputo before informing him of his “lack of interest” in the club.
After the loss to the Forge, I wrote words that carry a lot of weight today: we've just witnessed either the beginning of something new or the end. The status quo is no longer sustainable.
Furthermore, a trusted source told me earlier this year that for CF Montréal to remain in Quebec, the organization needed to be able to rely on four healthy pillars: the fans, the media, Quebec Inc., and all levels of government.
It's hard to say that the fans (there were few of them this season, and the two main fan groups gave up before the season ended), the media (several major media outlets snubbed CF Montréal in 2026), Quebec businesses, and the governments are all in good shape right now. Unfortunately…
That said, it's fair to say that if the club had performed better and been more inspiring, these four pillars would be in better shape today.
My guess: I wouldn't be surprised to hear Joey Saputo say that he's done everything the Saputo family could do—at least on its own—with CF Montréal. So we might see the Saputos reaching out to Quebec investors to become co-owners of the club or even to acquire it in its entirety.
Geoff Molson, for his part, didn't close the door when he was asked (twice) about this recently. Except that he's probably known for a long time that the club is potentially for sale, and he hasn't made a move.
However, I don't know if there's anyone in Quebec wealthy enough who would say to themselves, “That team is worth half a billion. I'm in.”
I hope so, but I doubt it.
That's why I wrote two weeks ago that I now see a relocation as more likely than any other scenario.
🏟 WORD ON THE STREET ⚽️
For a long time, I refused to buy into the theory that the #CFMTL's move was inevitable and almost imminent. The Montreal market is so rich and fertile.
A few months ago, however, information that came to my attention made me realize one thing: this club's move south of the border is indeed a possibility.
After speaking with several credible sources—need I say more?—I've unfortunately come to believe that this move isn't just possible, but that it's now LIKELY, in light of this week's events.
Definition of “likely”: an event that is more likely to happen than not to happen. Not a certainty.
I sincerely hope I'm wrong. But the wind now seems to be blowing very clearly in that direction.
I said it Wednesday night: we've all witnessed the beginning of a new era… or the end. Period.
If I absolutely had to bet $1,000 on one of the two scenarios, I'd bet on “the end” right now.
And believe me, it's neither with a light heart nor for fun that I'm writing these words this afternoon.
My only hope? On Wednesday, the odds favored the #CFMTL, and yet the Forge came out on top. The improbable often happens, especially in professional sports. 🤞
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) October 25, 2026
The relocation of another major sports franchise would be a blow to Quebec society. I can't imagine having to go to Toronto to watch top-level baseball, basketball, or soccer. Yes, I like the CPL, but it's not the league where Lionel Messi plays, after all.
Except that in soccer, most leagues are national. They consist of teams from a single country. Have we reached the end of the road for Canada in MLS?
Only time will tell, as they say.