Former Arsenal, Barcelona Legend Signs to Surprise MLS Club

One of the greats from both FC Barcelona and Arsenal is heading to Major League Soccer, as Alexis Sánchez inked a deal through the 2027 MLS sprint season with Canadian side CF Montréal on Tuesday, becoming the team’s biggest star since Didier Drogba.

The deal also includes an option for the 2027–28 MLS full-length season, the first under the new calendar, which aligns with Europe’s top competitions.

Chatter began of Sánchez’s addition on Monday, after the club posted a teaser video to social media for its new No. 10 with mention of the name “Alexis” at the end of the clip by Luca Saputo, the managing director of recruitment and sporting methodology. The deal became official less than 24 hours later, putting the Chilean legend in the black and blue of MLS’s lone French-speaking market.

The forward, who has played more as an attacking midfielder in recent seasons, will be a Designated Player with Montréal and enters the league during a star-studded summer that has also seen Orlando City sign Antoine Griezmann and Chicago Fire add Robert Lewandowski.

The 37-year-old Sánchez enjoyed an immensely successful career in Europe, starring for Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Inter Milan, among other clubs, as well as at the international level with Chile. He won two Copa América titles and is the national team’s all-time leading scorer (51 goals).

He has 215 goals and 154 assists across 788 total professional appearances and won titles with Barcelona, Inter Milan, Colo Colo and Arsenal; however, his production dipped last season in La Liga with Sevilla, where he scored just four times in 28 games. He will look to MLS to spark a fresh resurgence.

“I am very happy to join CF Montréal and take on this new challenge,” Sánchez said. “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. I’m here to give everything I have for the club and for this city.”

Alexis Sánchez’s MLS Contract Details

At 37, Sánchez becomes one of the oldest Designated Players in MLS, alongside the likes of Lewandowski and Vancouver Whitecaps star Thomas Müller, both of whom are the same age. Lionel Messi is roughly two years older at 39 years old.

He becomes Montréal’s only Designated Player, a status that means his “total compensation and acquisition costs exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge.” He will earn more than $803,125 annually through the duration of the deal, which takes him past his 38th birthday.

Each MLS club is allowed up to three DP slots on the roster, but Montréal had zero after parting ways with Iván Jaime 12 games into this season.

Can Montréal’s Newest Star Save Them?

Sánchez joins one of the most passionate soccer cities in North America and a long list of stars to ply their trade with the club formerly known as the Montréal Impact.

While the team hasn’t featured a major star player since former Tottenham Hotspur star Victor Wanyama in 2023 and 2024, it has previously been the home of Drogba, Alessandro Nesta, Ignacio Piatti and Marco Di Vaio, among others.

Sánchez will have a massive undertaking, as the club looks to advance to the postseason for the first time since 2022. Montréal currently sit 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference, seven points back from the final MLS Cup playoffs spot.

Although hoisting the MLS Cup appears a lofty goal, manager Philippe Eullaffroy's men can realistically envision a run to the Canadian Championship title, as they approach a two-leg semifinal series against Müller’s Whitecaps. The winner will meet one of the Canadian Premier League’s Forge FC or FC Supra de Quèbec or Atlético Ottawa in the final, with a Concacaf Champions Cup berth up for grabs.

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