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Saputo begins sale process for CF Montréal, with relocation possible
CF Montréal owner Joey Saputo says his family has begun a structured sale process, ending more than three decades of ownership. He hopes a buyer will keep the MLS club in Montreal, but would consider a relocation if a suitable local buyer cannot fund the team at the level he believes it needs.
Saputo gave no asking price or timetable, and said the process would involve Major League Soccer and the club’s investment bankers. Recent partial sales valued Sporting Kansas City at $700m and Columbus Crew at $900m; Forbes estimated Montréal’s value at $435m in 2025, when it was the league’s second least valuable club. Montréal owns Stade Saputo, which holds just over 19,000, while a nearby Olympic Stadium is due to reopen after modernisation in 2028.
In short
- Joey Saputo has started the sale process for CF Montréal.
- He wants the club to stay but has not ruled out relocation.
- Forbes valued Montréal at $435m in 2025.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A sale could bring in an owner with the resources and ambition to invest more heavily in CF Montréal, helping the club compete and build a stronger long-term future. If no local buyer can fund that level of investment, relocation may be a difficult but commercially responsible way to preserve the team’s viability.
The case against
Keeping the club in Montréal protects its ties to supporters and the city, and gives the local community a chance to benefit from the stadium and the planned reopening of Olympic Stadium. A relocation would risk breaking those ties, while the sale process could invite a local investor or group able to sustain the club without moving it.
Explained simply
CF Montréal is a professional football club that plays in Major League Soccer, the top league in the United States and Canada. The Saputo family has owned the team for more than 30 years; Joey Saputo is its current owner and chairman. The club plays at Stade Saputo, a stadium it owns in Montreal.
MLS clubs can be bought by new owners, with the league involved in the process. Recent partial sales of other clubs have put their values at hundreds of millions of dollars, while Forbes estimated Montréal’s value at $435 million in 2025. A possible move matters because the club is part of Montreal’s sporting life, and Olympic Stadium nearby is expected to reopen after modernisation in 2028.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “CF Montreal are for sale: What it means, how much it could cost, and what’s next for the MLS club”.