CF Montréal has signed Chilean forward Alexis Sánchez as a Designated Player on a free transfer, according to official club announcements. The 37-year-old veteran joins the Canadian Major League Soccer club on a contract running through the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, which includes a club option for the 2027–28 campaign.
The addition brings one of South America’s most decorated modern attackers to Stade Saputo as Montréal looks to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement. Sánchez arrives after spending the previous season in Spain with La Liga side Sevilla, where he recorded four goals and two assists across 28 appearances totaling 1,308 minutes of action, according to The Athletic.
A Proven Global Résumé Arrives in Quebec
Sánchez stands as Chile’s all-time leading scorer with 51 goals and holds the national team record for appearances with 168 caps. His extensive club career features stints with European heavyweights including FC Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Marseille, and Udinese, alongside early professional years with River Plate and Colo-Colo.
His trophy cabinet includes league titles with Barcelona in 2013, Inter Milan in 2021 and 2024, and Colo-Colo’s 2006 Clausura and 2007 Apertura tournaments. In English football, he collected two FA Cups with Arsenal in 2015 and 2017. On the international stage, Sánchez led Chile to Copa América titles by defeating Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the 2015 and 2016 finals.
“The arrival of Alexis Sánchez represents an important step in our sporting project,” CF Montréal Senior Director of Recruitment and Sporting Methodology Luca Saputo said in a press release published by Canadian Soccer Daily. “Alexis possesses exceptional technical quality and experience at the highest level of world football. His personality, leadership and competitive mindset fully align with our club’s identity and ambitions.”
Immediate Roster Impact and Standings Context
Montréal enters the transaction sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, having accumulated 16 points through 18 matches. The squad’s 24 goals scored tie for the second-fewest in the conference, creating an immediate need for attacking production.
Despite trailing the playoff line by seven points, the club retains 12 matches remaining in the regular season. Sánchez joins a lineage of high-profile Designated Players in Montréal’s history, standing alongside former marquee names such as Didier Drogba, Alessandro Nesta, Victor Wanyama, Ignacio Piatti, and Marco Di Vaio.
“I am very happy to join CF Montréal and take on this new challenge,” Sánchez said in comments provided by the club. “I’m grateful to the club for the confidence they’ve shown in me and I’m eager to put my experience to work so that we can reach our objectives and create memorable moments for our supporters.”
Debut Timeline and Next Fixtures
Club officials confirmed that Sánchez joins the roster with immediate effect and could make his debut as soon as Saturday night when Montréal hosts D.C. United at Stade Saputo. The fixture schedule also points toward a potential return to the Toronto area later in the autumn; Chile has scheduled a friendly match in Toronto for September 26, and CF Montréal will visit rivals on October 10.
Supporters caught the first official hint of the transaction on Monday evening when CF Montréal published a teaser video on social media featuring Luca Saputo declaring that “he wants Alexis, No. 10” on the team jersey, preceding reports from Chilean outlet El Deportivo LT and subsequent confirmation from major North American soccer outlets.
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