CF Montreal officially sign former Manchester United star

CF Montreal endured a difficult 2025 season as they finished near the bottom of the Major League Soccer standings.

The Canadian side collected only 28 points from their 34 regular-season matches, recording six victories as they ended the campaign 13th in the Eastern Conference and 29th overall.

Montreal scored just 34 league goals, with Prince Owusu responsible for 13 of them. Their lack of consistent attacking output left clear room for improvement, and the club have now recruited one of the most decorated South American players of his generation to strengthen their forward options.

Former Manchester United attacker Alexis Sanchez has officially joined Montreal as a Designated Player after leaving Sevilla, as reported on the club’s official website.

Sanchez has signed a contract running through the 2027 MLS Sprint Season, while Montreal also hold an option to retain him for the 2027/28 campaign.

The 37-year-old spent last season in La Liga, registering four goals and two assists across 30 appearances in all competitions for Sevilla.

He previously represented Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Marseille and Udinese, although United supporters will remember him for a disappointing spell at Old Trafford.

Sanchez joined United from Arsenal in January 2018 as part of the swap deal which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan move in the opposite direction.

The Chile international had been one of the Premier League’s outstanding attackers in north London but scored only five goals in 45 appearances for United. He joined Inter on loan in 2019 before completing a permanent departure the following year.

Confirming his arrival, Montreal senior director Luca Saputo described the signing as an important moment in the club’s sporting project.

“Alexis possesses exceptional technical quality and experience at the highest level of world football,” Saputo said.

“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.”

Sanchez added: “I am very happy to join CF Montréal and take on this new challenge.

“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.”

Sanchez is Chile’s record goalscorer and appearance holder, having scored 51 times in 168 international appearances. He also helped his country win consecutive Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016.