Alexis Sánchez Joins CF Montreal: A New Challenge in MLS
Alexis Sánchez is on his way to Montreal, and this time it’s not a rumour or a late-window flirtation. The former Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter, Marseille and Sevilla forward has signed as a designated player with CF Montreal, stepping into Major League Soccer at 37 with a deal built for both the present and a quickfire future.
The agreement runs until next May, tying him to the club for the remainder of this campaign and the sprint season slated for the first half of 2027. Montreal have also secured a one-year extension option that would keep him in Canada for the 2027-28 season, once his current spell in Spain fully closes.
This is not a quiet semi-retirement move. Chile’s all-time leading scorer — 51 goals in 168 caps — sounded energised by the switch.
“I am very happy to join CF Montreal and take on this new challenge. I'm grateful to the club for the confidence they've shown in me,” Sánchez told club media, leaning straight into the responsibility that comes with his name and résumé.
“I'm eager to put my experience to work so that we can reach our objectives and create memorable moments for our supporters. I'm here to give everything I have for the club and for this city.”
Those words land in a dressing room badly in need of a jolt.
A star drops into a struggling side
Montreal are marooned in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, with only 16 points from 18 matches under interim coach Philippe Eullaffroy. The form line is ugly: seven league games without a win, a blunt attack, and a fanbase waiting for something — or someone — to change the mood.
That someone is Sánchez.
Club chief Luca Saputo did not try to downplay the significance of the move.
“The arrival of Alexis Sanchez represents an important step in our sporting project. Alexis possesses exceptional technical quality and experience at the highest level of world football,” he said, framing the signing as a cornerstone rather than a marketing splash.
“His personality, leadership and competitive mindset fully align with our club's identity and ambitions. We are of firm belief that he will have an immediate impact both on the field and in the locker room.”
Montreal are betting that the same relentless edge that drove Sánchez through the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A can now lift a squad drifting through the middle of the MLS season.
Immediate pressure, immediate expectations
There will be no gentle easing-in period. Montreal’s attack sits among the least productive in MLS, short on goals and shorter still on conviction. Sánchez arrives as the face of the solution.
His debut could come as soon as this weekend, away to Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United. A cross-continent flight, a new league, a team searching for identity — and a 37-year-old star expected to ignite it all on contact.
Montreal wanted a leader, a reference point, a forward who still believes he can bend games to his will.
Now they have him. The question is simple: can Alexis Sánchez drag this season back from the brink?
