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Club de Foot Montréal (lit. Montreal Football Club), better known as CF Montreal or simply Montreal (French: Montréal), is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1992 as the Montreal Impact, they began playing in the MLS in 2012 as the league's nineteenth franchise and third Canadian club.
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| Full name | Club de Foot Montréal | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Le CFM (The CFM), L'Impact (The Impact) | ||
| Short name | CFM, CFMTL | ||
| Founded | 1992[nb 1] | ||
| Stadium | |||
| Capacity |
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| Owner | Joey Saputo | ||
| President | Gabriel Gervais | ||
| Head coach | Laurent Courtois | ||
| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2024 | Eastern Conference: 8th Overall: 17th Playoffs: Wild card round | ||
| Website | cfmontreal.com | ||
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In 2015, the Impact was the first ever Canadian club and the second MLS club to advance to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League, where they lost to Club América.
The club rebranded as Club de Foot Montréal in 2021 with a new club crest and colours. Amidst discontent and pressure from supporters and local media, the club introduced a revised logo for the 2023 season, with the club being known simply as CF Montréal.
CF Montréal and its predecessor clubs have won the Voyageurs Cup, the domestic trophy for professional club soccer in Canada, a total of 11 times, five of which are within the format of the Canadian Championship, the national championship for professional clubs in Canada formed in 2008. The club competes in the Leagues Cup, the North American zonal competition for CONCACAF, and is eligible for the cross-border Campeones Cup, but does not take part in the U.S. Open Cup.
The club plays its home matches at Stade Saputo and is managed by Laurent Courtois.
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Founding and pre-MLS era
Impact de Montréal FC were founded in December 1992 when the Saputo family acquired a new franchise in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL), at the time the top flight of professional U.S. and Canadian soccer, which was set to begin competition for the 1993 season.[2] In 1994, the Impact defeated the Colorado Foxes 1–0 at Centre Claude Robillard in Montréal, in front of a crowd of 8,169. The victory was the first championship for a professional soccer club from the city of Montréal.[3][4] The Impact were regular season champions for three consecutive seasons; from 1995 to 1996 in the APSL (rebranded as the A-League), and in 1997 as part of the post-merger USISL A-League.[2] In 2004, the Impact won the A-League championship by defeating the Seattle Sounders 2–0 at Centre Claude Robillard in Montréal, in front of a crowd of 13,648—a new attendance record for the club at the time.[2][5]
The A-League was renamed the USL First Division in November 2004.[6] The Impact started the 2005 season with a 15-game undefeated streak and finished 10 points clear of second place to win the Commissioner's Cup. They were knocked out in the playoffs semi-finals by the Seattle Sounders.[2] That same year, the club announced the construction of Stade Saputo, a soccer-specific stadium and the club's current home, which opened on May 19, 2008.[2][7] The Impact repeated as Commissioner's Cup winners in 2006 and won their first USL playoff championship in 2009 after they defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 6–3 on aggregate in the two-legged final. The second leg was played at Stade Saputo in front of a crowd of 13,034.[2][5]
The Impact won the first seven editions of the Voyageurs Cup, the domestic trophy for professional soccer in Canada awarded to the best Canadian team in the USL First Division, from 2002 to 2007.[8] Since 2008, the trophy has been awarded to the winner of the Canadian Championship. The Impact won the first edition of the competition in 2008 which qualified the club for the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League, their first continental tournament. The club advanced through the preliminary and group stages to the Champions League quarterfinals, where the Impact were defeated 5–4 on aggregate by Mexican club Santos Laguna.[2][9] In 2009, the Impact announced plans to join the breakaway North American Soccer League (NASL), a new second division league, but due to legal disputes with the USL, they instead joined the temporary USSF Division 2 Professional League for one season in 2010.[10] The Impact finished third in the league's NASL Conference and lost in the semifinals to Carolina RailHawks FC.[11] The team also lead the league in average attendance with 12,608 spectators per match.[12] Montréal ultimately played in the NASL for one season, failing to qualify for the playoffs, before being replaced by their MLS incarnation.[13]
MLS franchise bid and transition
Toward the end of 2007, much speculation had been made about a possible franchise move for the lower division Impact to Major League Soccer (MLS). The construction of the expandable Saputo Stadium further suggested an interest on the part of the group to move up to the top-level North American league. Although Toronto FC held a three-year Canadian exclusivity deal that did not expire until 2009, they stated in March 2008 that they would gladly welcome the Impact into MLS.[14]
Chairman Joey Saputo held talks with George Gillett (former co-owner of Liverpool F.C. and former owner of the Montreal Canadiens) regarding possible joint ownership of a franchise.[15] On July 24, 2008, MLS announced they were seeking to add two expansion teams for the 2011 season, of which Montreal was listed as a potential candidate.[16]
On November 22, 2008, the group's bid for an MLS franchise was not retained by commissioner Don Garber. In response to Vancouver's successful bid in March 2009, Impact GM Nick De Santis commented that he expected chairman Saputo to pursue and realize his vision of Montreal as an MLS franchise someday.[17] By May 16, 2009, the Montreal Gazette reported Garber and Saputo had resumed talks for an expansion team to begin play in 2011.[18]
On May 7, 2010, Garber and Saputo announced Montreal as the nineteenth club in Major League Soccer, set to begin play for the 2012 season.[19] The MLS franchise is privately owned by the Saputo family.[20]
On June 14, 2011, the Montreal Impact announced a five-year agreement with the Bank of Montreal to become their lead sponsor and jersey sponsor in MLS.[21]
In August 2011, Jesse Marsch became the Impact's new head coach. The club began building their roster for their inaugural MLS season in October 2011 with the signing of defenseman Nelson Rivas, previously of Inter Milan. From their NASL roster, the Impact re-signed defender Hassoun Camara, goalkeeper Evan Bush and midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic to new MLS contracts. Through the MLS expansion draft, the Impact were able to select in November 2011 ten more players, most notably midfielder and American international Justin Mapp. The Impact also traded for Davy Arnaud from Sporting Kansas City who would eventually become the team's first MLS captain. In December 2011, the club signed long-time Impact goalkeeper and Canadian international Greg Sutton, midfielder, Canadian international, future team captain and future Canada Soccer hall of famer Patrice Bernier, and Brazilian midfielder Felipe Martins. Veteran forward and long-time Impact player Eduardo Sebrango was invited to training camp and in February 2012 was awarded an MLS contract.
Beginnings in MLS and Champions League Final
2012 season
On March 10, 2012, the Impact played their inaugural MLS game, a 2–0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC.[22] A week later, the club made its home debut at the Olympic Stadium against the Chicago Fire, the game ending in a 1–1 draw. The match attracted 58,912 spectators, surpassing the previous record for professional soccer in Montréal established in a 1981 Montreal Manic home game against the Chicago Sting (58,542).[23] On May 12, 2012, the Impact set a new attendance record for a professional soccer match in Canada[24] with a crowd of 60,860 spectators during a game against the Los Angeles Galaxy which ended in 1–1 draw. On May 24, 2012, the club announced the signing of their first ever MLS Designated Player in Marco Di Vaio, previously of Bologna F.C. 1909. Di Vaio signed with the Impact after 14 seasons in Serie A and went on to score 34 goals in 76 appearances from 2012 to 2014 with the club. The Impact finished the 2012 regular season in seventh place in the Eastern conference with a record of 12 wins, 16 losses, and 6 ties. On November 3, 2012, head coach Jesse Marsch stepped down due to a difference of opinion with club management over how the team should move forward.
2013 season
On January 7, 2013, the Impact named Marco Schällibaum as head coach. Schällibaum had previously coached nearly 10 years in the Swiss Super League. On February 23, the Impact won the 2013 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, beating Columbus Crew 1–0 in the final during their pre-season campaign. On May 29, the club won the 2013 Canadian Championship by defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the final, the Impact's first major trophy since joining MLS[25] and their eighth Voyageurs Cup. As Canadian Champions, the Impact earned a spot in the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League, their second ever birth and first birth since joinging MLS as an expansion team.[citation needed] The club finished the 2013 MLS regular season with a record of 14 wins, 13 losses, and 7 ties which earned them their first-ever MLS playoff berth, finishing in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Impact were eliminated by the Houston Dynamo in the knockout round. The club announced on December 18 that Marco Schällibaum would not return and former Chicago Fire coach Frank Klopas would replace him as the Impact's new head coach.
2014 season
The Impact became repeat Voyageurs Cup champions by defeating Toronto FC in the 2014 Canadian Championship final on June 4, 2014.[26] Despite their success in the domestic cup, the Impact struggled in league play. The Impact finished the 2014 MLS season with a record of 6–18–10 (W-L-D), finishing last in the league.
2014 -2015 CONCACAF Champions League run
The Impact were drawn into group 3 with C.D. FAS of El Salvador and MLS rivals New York Red Bulls. With only the winner of each group advancing to the knockout stage, the Impact went undefeated in the group stage with 3 wins and a draw to win the group.
Quarterfinals
In the quarterfinals, the Impact took an early 2–0 lead against Pachuca in the first leg at Estadio Hidalgo but the Mexican club fought back to draw the game 2-2. Despite the Impact's inability to hold the lead, the 2 away goals gave the Impact an edge for the return leg. On March 3, 2015, at Olympic Stadium in Montréal, Pachuca took the lead in the 80th minute when referee Walter López awarded a penalty to the Mexican side and Germán Ezequiel Cano Recalde gave his team the lead. However, in the dying seconds of stoppage time, substitute Cameron Porter controlled a long pass from Callum Mallace, fought off a defender and slipped the ball between the legs of Pachuca's goalkeeper to tie the game thus sending the Impact to the semi-finals on away goals (3-3 aggregate). The Impact became the first Canadian club to win a two-legged series against a Mexican opponent.
Porter's goal
Cameron Porter was drafted 45th overall on January 15, 2015, by the Impact in the MLS SuperDraft. He made his professional debut on February 24 of that same year as an 81st-minute substitute against Pachuca in the first leg of the quarterfinals. His goal in stoppage time (90+4) in the second leg was the first professional goal of his career and his only goal for the Impact. Porter suffered a serious injury to his left knee less than a month later which required surgery to repair a torn ACL. He retired from professional soccer in 2018 at the early age of 24. Porter's goal immortalised him as a club legend in the minds of Impact supporters despite only ever playing in two MLS games for the club.
Semi-finals
The Impact faced Alajuelense of Costa Rica in the semi-finals who had dispatched D.C. United in the previous round. In the first leg, the Impact defeated the Costa Rican club 2–0 at Olympic Stadium in Montréal in front of a crowd of 33,675. Alajuelense's failure to score a goal in Montréal would prove to be fatal three weeks later when the teams met again for the return leg in Alajuela. The Impact opened the scoring just before the half to secure that all important away goal. Despite Alajuelense's two late goals to win the game 4–2, the Impact advanced to the finals on away goals (4-4 on aggregate).
Finals
The Impact became the first Canadian club and only the second MLS club to advance to the CONCACAF Champion's League finals and would face Club América. The first leg in Mexico resulted in a 1–1 draw at the Azteca in Mexico City on April 22, 2015. A week later the teams met again at the Olympic Stadium in Montréal in front of a sold-out crowd of 61,004. The home team scored in the 8th minute when Nacho Piatti moved swiftly past three América players and passed to an open Andrés Romero who slotted the ball past the Mexican goalkeeper. The first half ended with the Impact ahead 1–0 in the game and 2–1 on aggregate. However, Club América scored four goals in the second half and the game ended 4–2 to América (5-3 on aggregate).
2015–present
On August 29, 2015, head coach Frank Klopas was fired and replaced on an interim basis by former Impact player Mauro Biello. After qualifying for the playoffs and defeating Toronto FC in the first round before being eliminated in the Conference semi-finals by the Columbus Crew, Biello was hired permanently.[27] The team was also boosted mid-season by the arrival of Ivory Coast forward Didier Drogba, formerly of Chelsea.[27]
Biello was dismissed by the club in October 2017 after failing to qualify for the playoffs[28] and was succeeded by Rémi Garde, formerly of Aston Villa.[29] Garde was himself dismissed in August 2019 and replaced by former Colombian football defender Wilmer Cabrera on an interim basis. During Cabrera's time at the helm of the team, the Impact won the 2019 Canadian Championship defeating Toronto FC in the finals.[30] Despite his success in the Canadian Championship, Cabrera failed to lead the team to the MLS playoffs and his contract was not renewed for the following season.
In November 2019, former France international Thierry Henry signed a two-year deal to coach the Impact.[31] In his first season, the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but were eliminated 2–1 by the New England Revolution in the first round.[32] That same year, the Impact's first Champions League campaign since the 2015 final ended in the quarter-finals, with away goals elimination by Hondurian club C.D. Olimpia.[33] Henry resigned in February 2021[34] stating family reasons for his decision to step down as head coach. In a press release, he said: "The last year has been an extremely difficult one for me personally. Due to the worldwide pandemic, I was unable to see my children. Unfortunately due to the ongoing restrictions and the fact that we will have to relocate to the U.S. again for several months will be no different. The separation is too much of a strain for me and my kids. Therefore, it is with much sadness that I must take the decision to return to London and leave CF Montreal." Following Henry's abrupt departure, assistant coach Wilfried Nancy was named interim head coach and following an impressive start to his first season, Nancy was made permanent and his contract renewed in May 2021 as head coach for 2022.[35]
CF Montréal finished the 2022 MLS season in second place in the Eastern Conference and third place overall, the club's highest finish since their inaugural 2012 season in MLS. The club set a total of 8 new club records including for the number of wins in a season (20) and points in a regular season (65). They also set 2 new all-time MLS records for most road wins in a single season (11) and most consecutive road wins (7).[36] CF Montréal were knocked out of the 2022 MLS playoffs in the Eastern Conference Semifinals by New York City FC by a score of 3–1, at Stade Saputo. CF Montréal also set new club records for income earned from the sale of players with the sale of Djordje Mihailovic to AZ Alkmaar, Alistair Johnston to Celtic FC and Ismaël Koné to Watford FC. MLS 2022 Coach of the Year candidate, Wilfried Nancy left the club and signed with Columbus Crew in December 2022 and was replaced with former D.C. United head coach Hernán Losada. It was reported that Nancy had agreed with management to finish the season with CF Montréal following a verbal conflict with club owner, Joey Saputo, after a 3–0 loss to Sporting Kansas City in July but that he would be leaving the club after the end of the season.[37]
On June 27, 2023, CF Montréal manager Losada gave six Québecois players a start in a 1–0 league win over the New England Revolution: it was the highest number of locally-based players ever featured in the starting XI since the team had first joined MLS.[38]
CF Montréal parted ways with Losada after the 2023 regular season.[39]
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In regards to keeping the name "Impact" upon the move to MLS, Montreal stated its intention "to maintain its name and global team image". The official logo for the team was revealed at the start of a match between the NASL Montreal Impact team and the NSC Minnesota Stars on August 6, 2011.[40][41][42]
The previous logo was a shield in blue, black, white and silver containing a stylized fleur-de-lis and four silver stars, overlaid with the Impact wordmark. The fleur-de-lis, which also appeared on the logo of the NASL Impact team, is a globally recognized symbol of French heritage, and features prominently on the flag of Quebec as a reflection of Québécois culture. The four stars represent the four founding communities of Montreal identified on the city's coat of arms. At the top of the shield, the team's motto, "Tous Pour Gagner" (French for "all for victory") is inscribed. In 2020, the Impact unveiled a new slogan, "Passion. Fierté. Authenticité." (Passion. Pride. Authenticity.)
In January 2021, the club rebranded as Club de Foot Montréal (or CF Montreal), with Saputo saying "It's hard to let go of things you love. But here's the reality — to make an impact, we need to retire the Impact."[43] As part of the rebranding, the club unveiled a new badge and colours. The club's new official colours were marketed as "Impact Black", "Ice Grey", and "Sacré Bleu".[44][45] The badge predominantly featured four letter M's and eight arrows pointing to its centre, the elements combining to resemble a stylized snowflake. Creators stated that the new badge was a tribute to the emblems of the 1976 Summer Olympics and Expo 67.[43]
The rebranding was poorly received by the club's main supporter group, the Ultras, who published a letter and a petition requesting the club go back to its previous name.[46] In February 2021, supporters protested the rebranding in front of Saputo Stadium. During the protest, the stadium entrance sign featuring the new badge was vandalized by covering the new badge with black paint. One individual was arrested.[47]
In May 2022, amidst declining ticket sales, continued discontent and pressure from fans and media alike, the club unveiled a new badge and announced that it would take effect for the 2023 season, with the club shortening the name to simply CF Montréal. The new badge features a return to the club's traditional colours with blue being predominant, and centred around a stylized fleur-de-lis, which the club has used as a symbol since 2002.[48][49]
Uniform evolution
Home, away, and alternative uniforms.
- Home
          2012–2013
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   2014–2015
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     2016–2018
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     2019–2020
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 2021–2022
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    2023–
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- Away
    2012–2014
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    2015–2016
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     2017–2019
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    2020–2021
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     2022–
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- Alternative
    2013–2014
|
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Supporters group
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"Ultras Montréal", also known as "UM02", was founded in 2002 and was CF Montréal's largest and oldest supporters group. The group's motto is "Toujours fidèles" in French and translates as "Forever faithful". The Ultras were a highly active group, known for their unwavering 90 minute chants, use of smoke grenades, creating large tifos, waving flags, and organizing road trips to follow the club on away games. The group was located directly behind the net, on the south side of Stade Saputo, in section 132 with some spillover into section 131. Smaller independent groups also located in these sections, would join their voices to the Ultras during matches.
In September 2021, CF Montréal management announced that it was banning certain supporter groups, most notably, the Ultras Montréal. This move sparked many skeptical reactions as it came on the heels of a feud between the group and then president of the club, Kevin Gilmore. The conflict was a culmination of things that started almost exclusively with the rebranding of the club and abandonment of the highly popular team name, Impact de Montréal. The club cited misconduct and past violent incidents, however no further specifics were given in their press release.[50]
"127 Montréal" was formed in 2011 and are located in the south-west corner of Stade Saputo, in section 127. The club removed several rows of seats at the bottom of the section to accommodate the group, making a small part of section 127 a standing room area only. The group can be identified in the stadium by a banner displaying the group's name and crest. The crest features a snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca), the official bird of the Province of Québec. Because of their proximity, 127 Montréal often join supporters in 132 and 131 in their chants during matches. The group can also be seen during matches waving flags sporting the group's crest and using smoke grenades. Members of 127 Montréal occasionally join other groups in travelling to away games.
Named after the founding year of Montreal, "1642 MTL" is a supporters group formed in 2015 and located directly behind the net, on the north side of Saputo Stadium, in section 114.[51] 1642 MTL are the owners and caretakers of the North Star bell. Highly active during matches, the group uses flags extensively, occasionally creates tifos and uses smoke grenades.
On September 6, 2022, the club announced that it would be reopening section 132 to supporter groups, the decision taking immediate effect. A collective of supporters, many of whom were previously active in section 132 prior to its closure in September 2021, confirmed they would be making the section their home as the "Collectif Impact Montréal". "Ultras Montréal" released a statement on September 7, 2022, indicating that they would not be part of the collective. Collectif Impact Montréal along with several other smaller groups and independent supporters located nearby have successfully relaunched section 132 as an ultra-style supporters section. Once more, supporters groups at opposing ends of the field, acting independently, have created hostile territory for opposing goaltenders during both halves.
Mascot
The official mascot of the club was Tac-Tik the dog.[52]
The North Star
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The "North Star" or "L'Étoile du Nord" in French is a 5-foot (1.5 m) high, 44-inch (110 cm) wide, 1,576-pound (715 kg) bell acquired by the 1642 MTL supporters group as a goal and victory celebration. It was inaugurated on October 25, 2015, by Montreal mayor Denis Coderre where it was rung twice in a Montreal Impact victory against Toronto FC.[53] Since then, numerous personalities from the sports, cultural and art worlds, including many famous Montrealers and others linked to the city have been invited to ring the bell. Amongst them, local media personalities Tony Marinaro and Jean-Charles Lajoie, Canadian women's national soccer team players Gabrielle Carle and Josée Bélanger, retired Montréal Expos pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee, retired Montreal Canadiens center Andrew Shaw, retired Montréal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo, mixed martial artist and former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre and many Canadian Olympic medallists.[54]
The North Star is a symbolistic nod to the city's religious heritage. Québec is unique among Canadian provinces in its majority Roman Catholic population. Montréal is nicknamed "The City of a Hundred Steeples" for the many church steeples that dominated the city's skyline prior to the emergence of highrise buildings and skyscrapers; the prominence of these church steeples was remarked upon by Mark Twain during his visit to the city in 1881.
Rivalries
CF Montréal's biggest rival is Toronto FC, arguably the fiercest rivalry of MLS.[55] Professional soccer clubs from Canada's two largest cities have competed against each other for over 40 years. From the original NASL, the Canadian Soccer League, the A-League until today in MLS, the rivalry has continued throughout various leagues and in the Canadian Championship. Since both teams have joined MLS, the rivalry has intensified, culminating in the 2016 MLS Eastern conference finals, arguably MLS' greatest playoff series.[56] The first leg of the series at Stade Olympique in Montréal holds the record for the largest attendance for a match featuring two Canadian soccer teams[57] with 61,004 fans. The matches between the two clubs have become a Canadian soccer classic which has been nicknamed the Canadian Classique or the 401 Derby, for the 401 highway that links the two cities.[58]
The following table lists the history of official matches in MLS and the Canadian Championship between CF Montréal and Toronto FC.
| Matches | Montreal wins | draws | Toronto wins | Montreal goals | Toronto goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLS regular season (2012–) | 31 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 43 | 46 |
| MLS cup playoff (2012–) | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Canadian Championship (2008–) | 23 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 33 |
| MLS is Back Tournament (2020) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Total Official matches | 58 | 21 | 10 | 27 | 75 | 90 |
CF Montréal also shares a minor rivalry with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which stems from their pre-MLS clubs, most notably in the USL-1 2009 finals when the Impact defeated the Whitecaps 3–1 in Montréal (6–3 on aggregate) to win the league championship on October 17, 2009. The rivalry transported to MLS after both clubs joined the league and has been sustained mainly through the Canadian Championship, most notably when the clubs faced off in the 2013 finals won by Montréal and the 2015 finals won by Vancouver.[59][60][61]
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CF Montréal Academy and Reserves
CF Montréal Academy is the club's youth academy and development system, which was established in 2010. The academy consists of various teams, from U8 to U23. From 2010 to 2012, the academy entered a team in the Canadian Soccer League, which replaced their former reserve team Trois-Rivières Attak. In 2014, the U23 team competed in the USL Premier Development League, the fourth tier of the Canadian soccer pyramid. In 2015 and 2016, a reserve team competed in the United Soccer League under the name FC Montreal. Currently, they enter U18 and U16 teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy[62] and a U23 team competing in the PLSQ.
Ottawa Fury FC
The Ottawa Fury FC, of the league then known as the United Soccer League and now as the USL Championship, entered into an affiliation agreement on December 9, 2016.[63] That agreement ended when the Ottawa Fury were dissolved on November 8, 2019, and their USL franchise rights sold to Miami FC the following month.
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CF Montréal plays its home matches at Saputo Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium with a natural grass playing surface built in 2008 for the then second division Impact de Montréal but designed with expansion in mind with the club anticipating a move to MLS. The Québec government announced $23 million in funding to expand the stadium to more than 20,000 seats as well as build a training field with synthetic turf adjacent to the stadium.[20]
Expansion to Saputo Stadium was expected to be finished in time for the start of the club's inaugural 2012 MLS season, but it was announced on July 17, 2011, that the expansion would be delayed. As a consequence, the neighbouring Olympic Stadium was used for the Impact's first six home dates (5 MLS regular season, 1 Canadian Championship).[64] The Impact's first MLS game at Saputo Stadium was eventually played on June 16, 2012, a 4–1 win over Seattle.[65]
Though Saputo Stadium serves as the club's primary home, Olympic Stadium is also used for special events which demand a larger capacity or more favorable playing conditions (e.g. the team's season home opener, playoff matches, international competitions, and under winter conditions).[66]
Home stadium
- Saputo Stadium; Montreal, Quebec (2012–present): capacity 20,801
Other stadiums
- Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec (2012–present): capacity 61,004
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As of the 2023 season, all CF Montreal matches are carried by MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, with all matches available with French, English, and Spanish commentary options.[67] Selected matches will air in French on RDS and in English on TSN.[68]
From its inception through 2022, nearly all CF Montreal matches aired on TVA Sports as the team's regional rightsholder. TVA Sports aired 24 matches during the team's inaugural season, with play by play duties held by Fréderic Lord and colour commentary provided by Vincent Destouches.[69] From the 2017 season, TVA Sports became the French national rightsholder of Major League Soccer, televising all CF Montreal matches, as well as French-language coverage of other matches.[70][69] The team never sold English-language television rights to its "regional" matches, but Montreal regular-season matches against Canadian opponents were broadcast in English by TSN as part of its rights to MLS (which covered the national MLS on TSN package, and separate rights to Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC matches not covered by the national package).[69]
CHMP 98.5 FM served as the club's French-language radio flagship from 2015 through 2020,[71] with Jeremy Filosa on play-by-play and analyst Arcadio Marcuzzi.[citation needed] On January 19, 2021, CKLX 91.9 Sports announced that it would become the club's new French-language radio flagship through 2022.[72] CKGM TSN 690 Montreal serves as the English-language radio flagship of the club.[73] Rick Moffat handles play-by-play duties while colour commentary is provided by former Montreal player Grant Needham.
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Roster
- As of August 27, 2024[74]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Retired numbers
- 20 – Mauro Biello, forward (1993–98, 2000–09)
Management
- As of May 10, 2024[75]
Joey Saputo – Owner- Gabriel Gervais – President and chief executive officer, Interim Chief Sporting Officer
- Salvatore Rivera – Vice-president & Chief Financial Officer
- Amélie Vaillancourt – Vice-president & Chief Human Resource Officer
- Samia Chebeir – Vice-president and Chief Marketing Officer
Coaching staff
- As of January 17, 2024[76]
Laurent Courtois – head coach- David Sauvry – assistant coach
Eduardo Sebrango – assistant coach
Stefano Pasquali – assistant fitness coach- Louan Schlicht – video analyst
development methodology
Head coach records
- As of May 12, 2024[citation needed]
| Coach | Nation | Tenure | Record1 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Win % | Win or Tie% | Points per game | |||
| Jesse Marsch |  United States |
August 10, 2011 – November 3, 2012 | 36 | 12 | 17 | 7 | 33.33 | 52.77 | 1.19 |
| Marco Schällibaum |  Switzerland |
January 7, 2013 – December 18, 2013 | 43 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 39.53 | 60.46 | 1.40 |
| Frank Klopas | United States |
December 18, 2013 – August 30, 2015 | 83 | 25 | 31 | 27 | 30.12 | 62.65 | 1.23 |
| Mauro Biello |  Canada |
August 30, 2015 – October 23, 2017 | 93 | 36 | 35 | 22 | 38.71 | 62.36 | 1.40 |
| Rémi Garde |  France |
November 8, 2017 – August 21, 2019 | 67 | 28 | 30 | 9 | 41.79 | 55.22 | 1.39 |
| Wílmer Cabrera |  Colombia |
August 21, 2019 – October 24, 2019 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 33.33 | 44.44 | 1.11 |
| Thierry Henry | France |
November 14, 2019 – February 25, 2021 | 35 | 12 | 19 | 4 | 34.29 | 45.71 | 1.14 |
| Wilfried Nancy | France |
March 8, 2021 – December 6, 2022 | 79 | 37 | 25 | 17 | 46.84 | 68.35 | 1.62 |
| Hernán Losada |  Argentina |
December 21, 2022 – November 9, 2023 | 40 | 15 | 19 | 6 | 37.50 | 52.50 | 1.28 |
| Laurent Courtois | France |
January 8, 2024 – Present | 40 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 30.00 | 60.00 | 1.2 |
- 1.^ Includes league, playoff, Canadian Championship and CONCACAF Champions League matches.
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National
Continental
- CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Runners-up: 2014–15
Friendly
- CapCity Cup
- Winners: 2018[77]
- Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic
- Winners: 2013
Year-by-year
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by CF Montréal. For the full season-by-season history, see List of CF Montréal seasons.
| Season | MLS regular season | MLS playoffs | CC | Continental / other | Average attendance |
Top goalscorer(s) | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf Position |
Overall Position |
Name(s) | Goals | ||||||
| 2019 | 1 | MLS | 34 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 47 | 60 | –13 | 41 | 1.21 | 9th | 18th | DNQ | W | DNQ | 16,171 |  Saphir Taïder |
10 | |
| 2020 | MLS | 23 | 8 | 13 | 2 | 33 | 43 | −10 | 26 | 1.13 | 9th | 18th | PR | DNQ | CONCACAF Champions League MLS is Back Tournament |
QF Ro16 |
5,439 |  Romell Quioto |
10 | |
| 2021 | MLS | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 46 | 44 | +2 | 46 | 1.35 | 10th | 18th | DNQ | W | DNQ | 5,000 | Romell Quioto |
9 | ||
| 2022 | MLS | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 63 | 50 | +13 | 65 | 1.91 | 2nd | 3rd | QF | SF | CONCACAF Champions League | QF | 14,828 | Romell Quioto |
15 | |
| 2023 | MLS | 34 | 12 | 17 | 5 | 36 | 52 | −16 | 41 | 1.21 | 10th | 20th | DNQ | F | Leagues Cup | GS | 15,905 |  Chinonso Offor |
5 | |
^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, Playoffs, Canadian Championship, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
All-time continental competition win/loss
- As of July 27, 2023[citation needed]
| Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Alajuelense | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
 América | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 |
| Cruz Azul | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 |
| DC United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 |
 FAS | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
 Heredia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| New York Red Bulls | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Olimpia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Pachuca | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 |
| Santos Laguna | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 |
| Saprissa | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| UNAM | 1 | 1(p.) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 23 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 29 | 28 | +1 |
International results
- As of July 27, 2023[citation needed]
| International results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Competition | Club | Nation | Venue | Result | Attendance |
| 2012 | Pre-season Friendly | Guadalajara | Mexico |
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico | D 0–0 | |
| Tecos | W 1–0 | |||||
| ITESO | W 7–0 | |||||
| Atlas | D 1–1 | |||||
| BK Häcken |  Sweden |
Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States | W 1–0 | |||
| Friendly | Lyon | France |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | L 1–2 (pen.) | 19,225 | |
| Post-season Friendly | Bologna |  Italy |
Bologna, Italy | L 0–1 | 1,839 | |
| Fiorentina Primavera | Florence, Italy | W 4–1 | ||||
| Fiorentina | W 1–0 | |||||
| 2013 | Champions League | San Jose Earthquakes | United States |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | W 1–0 | 15,115 |
| Heredia | Guatemala |
Guatemala City, Guatemala | L 0–1 | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | United States |
Santa Clara, California, United States | L 0–3 | 6,128 | ||
| Heredia | Guatemala |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | W 2–0 | 13,703 | ||
| 2014 | Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic | Fluminese U23 |  Brazil |
Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States | W 1–0 | |
| Champions League | FAS | El Salvador |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | W 1–0 | 9,209 | |
| San Salvador, El Salvador | W 3–2 | |||||
| New York Red Bulls | United States |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | W 1–0 | |||
| Harrison, New Jersey, United States | D 1–1 | |||||
| 2015 | Pre-season Friendly | Cruz Azul | Mexico |
Mexico City, Mexico | L 0–1 | |
| W 1–0 | ||||||
| Cuautla | W 6–0 | |||||
| Champions League | Pachuca | Mexico |
Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico | D 2–2 | 12,000 | |
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | D 1–1, W 3–3 agg. (a) | 38,104 | ||||
| Alajuelense | Costa Rica |
W 2–0 | 33,675 | |||
| Alajuela, Alajuela Province, Costa Rica | L 2–4, W 4–4 agg. | 17,895 | ||||
| América | Mexico |
Mexico City, Mexico | D 1–1 | 56,783 | ||
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | L 2–4, L 3–5 agg. | 61,004 | ||||
| 2016 | Friendly | Roma | Italy |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | L 0–2 | 20,801 |
| 2020 | Champions League | Saprissa | Costa Rica |
San José, Costa Rica | D 2–2 | |
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | D 0–0, W 2–2 agg. (a) | 21,505 | ||||
| Olimpia | Honduras |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | L 1–2 | |||
| Orlando, Florida, United States | W 1–0, L 2–2 agg. (a) | 0 | ||||
| 2022 | Champions League | Santos Laguna | Mexico |
Torreón, Mexico | L 0–1 | |
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | W 3–0, W 3–1 agg. | 13,343 | ||||
| Cruz Azul | Mexico |
Mexico City, Mexico | L 0–1 | |||
| Montreal, Quebec, Canada | D 1–1, L 1–2 agg. | 21,388 | ||||
| 2023 | Leagues Cup | UNAM | Mexico |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | T 2–2, W 6–4 (pen.) | 19,619 [78] |
| DC United | United States |
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | L 0–1 | 19,619 [79] | ||
CONCACAF Ranking Index
Current Ranking
- As of March 25, 2024
Source: https://www.concacaf.com/rankings/club/
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Sporting Kansas City | 1,178 |
| 25 | Real Salt Lake | 1,177 |
| 26 | Atlanta United | 1,175 |
| 27 | CF Montreal | 1,174 |
| 28 | Nashville SC | 1,174 |
| 29 | Minnesota United FC | 1,173 |
| 30 | Houston Dynamo FC | 1,173 |
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Top appearances (MLS regular season matches only)
- As of October 21, 2024
| Rank | Pos. | Player | Nation | Career | Appearances | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midfielder | Samuel Piette | Canada |
2017– | 186 | [80] |
| 2 | Goalkeeper | Evan Bush | United States |
2012–2020 | 176 | [81] |
| 3 | Midfielder | Patrice Bernier | Canada |
2012–2017 | 151 | [82] |
| 4 | Midfielder | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
2014–2019 | 135 | [83] |
| 5 | Defender | Hassoun Camara | France |
2012–2017 | 134 | [84] |
Bolded players are currently on the CF Montréal roster.
Top goalscorers (MLS regular season matches only)
- As of October 23, 2023
| Rank | Pos. | Player | Nation | Career | Appearances | Goals | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midfielder | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
2014–2019 | 135 | 66 | [83] |
| T2 | Forward | Marco Di Vaio | Italy |
2012–2014 | 76 | 34 | [85] |
| T2 | Forward | Romell Quioto | Honduras |
2020–2023 | 81 | 34 | [86] |
| 4 | Forward | Didier Drogba |  Ivory Coast |
2015–2016 | 33 | 21 | [87] |
| 5 | Midfielder | Saphir Taïder | Algeria |
2018–2020 | 76 | 20 | [86] |
Bolded players are currently on the CF Montréal roster.
Top assists (MLS regular season matches only)
- As of February 23, 2023
| Rank | Pos. | Player | Nation | Career | Appearances | Assists | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midfielder | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
2014–2019 | 135 | 35 | [83] |
| 2 | Midfielder | Patrice Bernier | Canada |
2012–2017 | 151 | 25 | [82] |
| 3 | Midfielder | Felipe | Brazil |
2012–2015 | 93 | 24 | [88] |
| 4 | Midfielder | Djordje Mihailovic | United States |
2021–2022 | 61 | 22 | [89] |
| T5 | Midfielder | Justin Mapp | United States |
2012–2015 | 82 | 21 | [89] |
| T5 | Midfielder | Saphir Taïder | Algeria |
2018–2020 | 76 | 21 | [86] |
Bolded players are currently on the CF Montréal roster.
Top wins (MLS regular season matches only)
- As of October 21, 2024
| Rank | Pos. | Player | Nation | Career | Appearances | Wins | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goalkeeper | Evan Bush | United States |
2012–2020 | 176 | 64 | [90] |
| 2 | Goalkeeper | Jonathan Sirois | CAN |
2020– | 66 | 23 | [91] |
| 3 | Goalkeeper | Troy Perkins | United States |
2012–2014 | 63 | 21 | [92] |
| 4 | Goalkeeper | Sebastian Breza | Canada |
2021–2022 | 32 | 16 | [93] |
| 5 | Goalkeeper | James Pantemis | Canada |
2018–2023 | 34 | 15 | [94] |
Bolded players are currently on the CF Montréal roster.
Top clean sheets (MLS regular season matches only)
- As of October 21, 2024
| Rank | Pos. | Player | Nation | Career | Appearances | Clean Sheets | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goalkeeper | Evan Bush | United States |
2012–2020 | 176 | 40 | [90] |
| 2 | Goalkeeper | Jonathan Sirois | Canada |
2020– | 66 | 19 | [95] |
| 3 | Goalkeeper | Troy Perkins | United States |
2012–2014 | 63 | 17 | [92] |
| T4 | Goalkeeper | Clément Diop |  Senegal |
2018–2021 | 30 | 7 | [91] |
| T4 | Goalkeeper | James Pantemis | Canada |
2018–2023 | 34 | 7 | [94] |
Bolded players are currently on the CF Montréal roster.
Giuseppe Saputo Trophy
The Giuseppe Saputo Trophy is awarded to the club's Most Valuable Player.
| Year | Player | Nation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Patrice Bernier | Canada |
[96] |
| 2013 | Marco Di Vaio | Italy |
[97] |
| 2014 | Andrés Romero | Argentina |
[98] |
| 2015 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
[99] |
| 2016 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
[100] |
| 2017 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
[101] |
| 2018 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
[102] |
| 2019 | Orji Okwonkwo | Nigeria |
[103] |
| 2020 | Romell Quioto | Honduras |
[104] |
| 2021 | Djordje Mihailovic | United States |
[105] |
| 2022 | Romell Quioto | Honduras |
[106] |
| 2023 | Mathieu Choinière | Canada |
[107] |
| 2024 | Josef Martinez |  Venezuela |
Golden Boot
CF Montréal's Golden Boot is awarded to the club's leading goalscorer.
| Year | Player | Nation | Goals | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Patrice Bernier | Canada |
9 | [108] |
| 2013 | Marco Di Vaio | Italy |
20 | [109] |
| 2014 | Marco Di Vaio | Italy |
9 | [110] |
| 2015 | Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast |
11 | [111] |
| 2016 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
17 | [112] |
| 2017 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
17 | [113] |
| 2018 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
16 | [113] |
| 2019 | Saphir Taïder | Algeria |
9 | [113] |
| 2020 | Romell Quioto | Honduras |
8 | [113] |
| 2021 | Romell Quioto | Honduras |
8 | [113] |
| 2022 | Romell Quioto | Honduras |
15 | [113] |
| 2023 | Mathieu Choinière | Canada |
5 | [113] |
| 2024 | Josef Martinez | Venezuela |
11 | [113] |
Note: Only MLS regular season goals count.
Defensive player of the year
Awarded to the club's best defender.
| Year | Player | Nation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Laurent Ciman |  Belgium |
[114] |
| 2016 | Hassoun Camara | France |
[115] |
| 2017 | Daniel Lovitz | United States |
[115] |
| 2018 | Evan Bush | United States |
[115] |
| 2019 | Bacary Sagna | France |
[115] |
| 2020 | Luis Binks |  England |
[115] |
| 2021 | Rudy Camacho | France |
[116] |
| 2022 | Alistair Johnston | Canada |
[117] |
| 2023 | Jonathan Sirois | Canada |
[107] |
| 2024 | Samuel Piette | Canada |
[107] |
Jason Di Tullio Trophy
Awarded in recognition of the player who best embodied the spirit of "La Grinta" throughout the MLS season.
| Year | Player | Nation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tomas Giraldo | Canada |
[117] |
| 2023 | Mathieu Choinière | Canada |
[107] |
| 2024 | Samuel Piette | Canada |
[107] |
Club captains
| Period | Player | Nation | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2013 | Davy Arnaud | United States |
[118] |
| 2014–2017 | Patrice Bernier | Canada |
[119] |
| 2018–2019 | Ignacio Piatti | Argentina |
[120] |
| 2020 | Jukka Raitala |  Finland |
[121] |
| 2021–2022 | Victor Wanyama |  Kenya |
[122] |
| 2021–2022 | Kamal Miller | Canada |
[122] |
| 2021– | Samuel Piette | Canada |
[122] |
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