Joey Saputo dropped a bomb on Monday afternoon, and it wasn’t just any old press conference. The CF Montreal owner literally fought back tears as he announced his family is starting the process to sell the MLS club he’s owned for over three decades. Saputo tried to frame it as a “careful and deliberate reflection” rather than urgency, initially stressing his deep desire to keep the team right there in Montreal. But you know how these things go, the story always gets more complicated.
The Club Stays… Unless It Doesn’t?
Saputo’s initial remarks were all about commitment to Montreal, hoping to find someone who “shares commitment to Montreal and who will ensure that the club remains in the city for many years to come.” Sounds great, right? Like a passionate owner securing the team’s future in the city he loves. But then, after more than half an hour of questions, the truth started to leak out. Saputo straight up refused to rule out selling to a buyer who might move the club. Yeah, you read that right.
He wasn’t pulling any punches when he said, “I will not discount the club to the point of just giving it away just for the sake of giving it away.” Ouch. He continued, making it clear that while he loves the club and wants it to stay, there’s a limit. “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 even went further, laying out the stark reality: “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.” That’s the cold hard truth, folks. The door for relocation is wide open.
What’s This Club Really Worth?
So, if Saputo is willing to let the club move for the right price, what kind of dough are we talking about here? He wouldn’t give any estimates on his selling point or a timeline, saying the process is coordinated with MLS and investment bankers. But let’s look at what he paid versus what he’s about to get. Saputo forked over a $40 million expansion fee to join the league back in 2012. You can bet your last dollar he’s going to get “many times more” than that this time around.
Just look at recent MLS sales. Earlier this year, in January, the Illig family sold a 71% chunk of Sporting Kansas City, and that deal valued SKC at a staggering $700 million. SKC even owns their own stadium. Then in May, the Haslem family offloaded a 37% stake in the Columbus Crew, and that valuation came in at a cool $900 million, with Columbus also owning their stadium. For reference, Forbes rated SKC as the 16th most valuable MLS franchise in 2025, and Columbus was 18th. CF Montreal, on the other hand, was ranked as the second least-valuable club by Forbes as of June 2025. That lower valuation could mean a buyer sees a steal, or it might just mean they need to invest a ton of cash to get it up to snuff, which is exactly Saputo’s point.
The ball is officially rolling for CF Montreal. Saputo’s tenure is ending, and the question isn’t just who buys the club, but where it will call home for the future. The next chapter for CF Montreal could be incredibly different from the last thirty years.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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