CF Montreal up for sale as Joey Saputo ends three decades of ownership

The Saputo family is beginning the process of selling Major League Soccer club CF Montreal, ending more than three decades of ownership. The club's founder and owner, Joey Saputo, announced the decision at a rare press conference on Monday afternoon.

The press conference was an emotional one. Saputo paused multiple times to fight back tears as he spoke. He has owned the Quebec club for more than three decades.

In his scripted opening remarks, Saputo said, "This decision is neither driven by urgency, nor dictated by circumstance. It's the result of a careful and deliberate reflection on where we stand today, and more importantly, on the opportunities that lie ahead for the club."

Throughout his statement, he stressed his desire to keep the club in Montreal, saying he hoped to find someone who "shares commitment to Montreal and who will ensure that the club remains in the city for many years to come."

Yet more than half an hour into the event, after the floor was opened to questions from reporters in the room, he refused to rule out selling to a buyer who might move the club to another city.

Saputo said, "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."

He added, "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 declined to provide estimates for his selling price or for the timeline to find a suitable buyer. He said the sales process will be conducted in coordination with MLS as well as the club's retained investment bankers.

He paid a $40 million expansion fee to join the league in 2012. Based on recent history, he stands to receive many times more than that.

In January, the Illig family sold 71 percent of Sporting Kansas City to Peter Malouk at a $700 million valuation. In May, the Haslem family sold a 37 percent stake in the Columbus Crew at a valuation of $900 million. Both teams own their own home stadium. Forbes rated Sporting Kansas City as the league's 16th most valuable franchise in 2025, while Columbus ranked 18th.

As of June 2025, Forbes ranked CF Montréal as the second least valuable club in MLS at an estimation of $435 million, only ahead of Stan Kroenke's Colorado Rapids.

The central question now is whether the Saputo family can find a buyer with the capacity to keep the club in Montreal, or whether the sale process ends up taking the club to a new city.