CF Montréal put up for sale by Joey Saputo after emotional press conference
CF Montréal owner Joey Saputo announced at a rare press conference on Monday afternoon that he is "initiating a structured sale process" for the Major League Soccer club and said the family is beginning that formal sales process.
Saputo, who paused several times during the event and fought back tears, framed the decision as the product of reflection rather than urgency, telling reporters: “This decision is neither driven by urgency, nor dictated by circumstance.” He said he hoped to find a buyer who "shares commitment to Montreal and who will ensure that the club remains in the city for many years to come." The owner began the club in late 1992 as the Montreal Impact and guided it through two decades in five leagues before it entered MLS as an expansion franchise in 2012.
When questioned in the open forum more than half an hour into the press conference, Saputo declined to categorically rule out a sale that could lead to relocation, saying: “I will not discount the club to the point of just giving it away just for the sake of giving it away. I want to be perfectly clear. I love this club. I will love this club to stay here. But if an owner comes in that doesn’t have the capacity to keep the club at the level that it needs to be at, and to spend the money that needs to be spent in order to bring in the players that this city wants to see, then at that point I’m not doing anyone a favor by selling it to someone just to keep it here. As much as I would love for this club to be here, if someone has the capacity to do it, and I feel that they have the capacity to do it, then I would love for this club to be here, and continue to build on what we did. But if there isn’t, and there’s an offer that comes in to relocate the club, and it’s in line with Major League Soccer and what they want to, then yeah, that’s where it’s going to be.”
Saputo said he would not provide an estimate for his selling price or a timeline for identifying a buyer, and that the sales process will be conducted in coordination with Major League Soccer and the club’s retained investment bankers. The owner noted that the family paid a $40m expansion fee to join MLS in 2012. Recent MLS transactions cited in the press conference underscored potential valuations elsewhere in the league: the Illig family sold 71% of Sporting Kansas City to Peter Malouk at a $700m valuation in January, and the Haslem family sold a 37% stake in the Columbus Crew at a $900m valuation in May.
Saputo pointed to the club’s current market standing, noting Forbes ranked CF Montréal as the second least-valuable MLS franchise at an estimated $435m as of June 2025, ahead only of the Colorado Rapids. He also set out infrastructure considerations: CF Montréal owns Stade Saputo, described as "modestly sized at just over 19,000 capacity" with a strong match-day atmosphere, while the neighbouring Montreal Olympic Stadium is due for modernization and will reopen in 2028, though the club would be a tenant there if it moved there temporarily or permanently.
On sporting matters, Saputo recalled his early-2023 pledge to position Montreal for long-term success after the club lost coach Wilfried Nancy to Columbus; Nancy subsequently won the MLS Cup the same season and reached the Concacaf Champions League final in 2024 with the Crew. Saputo and the report highlighted Montreal’s recent on-field struggles: over the past four seasons the club has accrued as few points (139) as only three other teams — DC United (139), Sporting KC (136) and Toronto FC (130) — and Montréal has won just one playoff game since 2016. The club’s best recent periods coincided with the short spell of striker Didier Drogba from 2015 to 2016 and Nancy’s tenure from 2021 to 2022.
Addressing resources and recruitment, Saputo acknowledged the need for a change in spending approach, saying the next owner must “start spending in line with some of the other teams.” He confirmed the Saputo family will continue to operate the club in the interim: "We're going to continue to run the club," he said. "It will be challenging for us, but we are going to stay here until we find the buyer for the club." The announcement makes CF Montréal the second of MLS’s three Canadian teams flagged as relocation candidates, alongside the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are reported to be in the midst of their own sale and facilities issues.
Potential relocation destinations discussed in the report included Las Vegas, with examples cited of recent franchise moves in other US sports, and Sacramento, where past expansion plans stalled and Sacramento Republic are building a 20,000-seat venue due to open in 2028 on the site once intended for an MLS team. The piece also listed Phoenix, Indianapolis and Detroit as cities that have confirmed interest in hosting an MLS franchise at some level. Bill Foley was quoted on the cost hurdles for US expansion and franchise fees, noting the high expenses associated with stadium construction and franchise acquisition.
Saputo said the club will remain under the Saputo family’s stewardship while the structured sale process proceeds and that they will continue running CF Montréal "until we find the buyer for the club."