Vancouver Whitecaps aren't the only Canadian MLS team in danger of relocating to United States
The Vancouver Whitecaps are for sale and at risk of being relocated to the United States.
And now they have company.
A second Canadian MLS franchise has been put up for sale, with CF Montreal owner Joey Saputo announcing the news on Monday. He openly admitted that if he can’t find a buyer that wants to keep the club in Montreal, it’ll be relocated.
“If the club doesn’t find a local buyer and I get an offer where the club needs to be relocated, then I have no choice,” Saputo told reporters. “That is the decision I will take.”
“I will not discount the club to the point of just giving it away. I want to be perfectly clear: I love this club and would love this club to stay here. But if an owner comes in and doesn’t have the capacity to (keep the club here)… at that point, I’m not doing anyone a favour by selling to someone just to keep it here.”
Sound familiar?
The Whitecaps have been for sale for nearly two years and have yet to find a buyer — at least not one that wants to keep the franchise in Vancouver. Ownership uncertainty has come during the two most successful seasons Vancouver has ever had in Major League Soccer. The Whitecaps reached the MLS Cup Final last year, and this season has set a franchise record for points (64), after posting a Western Conference-leading 19-8-7 record.
Simon Fearn/Imagn Images
Things haven’t gone as well for Montreal on the pitch in 2026, as the club finished with an MLS-worst record of 6-20-8.
There’s also concern in Montreal with MLS moving to a winter schedule, making their outdoor stadium not suitable for more matches.
That’s not an issue for the Whitecaps, who play at BC Place with a retractable roof. The problem in Vancouver appears to be the current business model.
Either way, there’s reason to be worried about the future of two of Canada’s three MLS clubs. Toronto FC appears safe, for now.
Canada last saw an exodus of professional sports teams beginning in the 1990s, when the Quebec Nordiques moved to Colorado in 1995, and the Winnipeg Jets left for Phoenix in 1996. Vancouver and Montreal know the pain of losing teams also, as the Vancouver Grizzlies left for Memphis in 2001 and the Montreal Expos relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2004.
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