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The Alexis Sánchez chapter in Major League Soccer is about to begin, though supporters will likely have to wait to see the former Barcelona and Arsenal forward in action on Saturday, CF Montréal's opening match with him officially listed on the roster.
Sánchez is set to touch down in Montréal on Friday afternoon and is therefore more likely to watch from the stands as his new side takes on the New England Revolution on Saturday evening rather than feature on the pitch. His competitive debut is anticipated on Wednesday, Aug. 19, in an away clash against the Columbus Crew.
"The aim is to get him up to speed as fast as possible," said Montréal's interim head coach, Philippe Eullaffroy. "In Columbus next Wednesday, if everything goes smoothly and he doesn't show up on crutches, I believe he'll be on the team sheet."
As for his home debut, that could be pushed back to Aug. 22, when the Québec club welcomes L.A. Galaxy, potentially setting up a reunion between Sánchez and former Barcelona teammate Sergi Roberto, who recently put pen to paper with the California outfit.
Alexis Sánchez est à Montréal. 👀🇨🇱
Réservez‑lui tout un accueil lors de sa présentation au MATCH RÉTRO, demain, samedi 15 août. On vous attend !
Give him a warm welcome during his presentation at the RETRO MATCH tomorrow, Saturday, August 15. We're ready for you!⁰⁰Derniers… pic.twitter.com/mfsSTngKn9
While the Chilean international, who holds his nation's all-time scoring record with 51 goals, is expected to play a pivotal role in restoring Montréal's standing in MLS, he has not featured in a competitive match since May 23, when he wrapped up his stint with Sevilla in La Liga.
Furthermore, he has seen limited playing time in recent campaigns, logging just over 1,400 minutes in 2025–26 across 30 appearances, following a stretch of barely 500 minutes in 14 outings during 2024–25. In 2023–24, he accumulated just over 1,000 minutes across 33 matches. Since his 2022–23 season with Marseille in Ligue 1, he has failed to surpass 3,000 minutes in any single campaign.
Fortunately for Montréal, only 1,350 minutes will remain on their MLS regular season calendar following Saturday's fixture.
"He'll come in good physical shape, but not with match sharpness — that's what we need to evaluate," Eullaffroy noted, revealing that Sánchez has been working with a personal trainer for 12 weeks. "We have to coach him...He's going to be an extremely important player, but he also needs to familiarize himself with us, understand our identity, our way of doing things, and get to know the club, the city, the supporters, and the media."
Can Alexis Sánchez Find Chemistry?
With an average squad age of 24.5 (excluding Sánchez), CF Montréal is an exceptionally youthful side. The team possesses some raw ability but lacks a genuine match-winner, particularly in the middle of the park. Sánchez, who will don the No. 10 shirt, will aim to be that catalyst and raise the standard of the younger players surrounding him.
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He will also be expected to forge a dangerous attacking partnership with the club's experienced striker, Prince Owusu, who has netted 10 goals in 17 appearances yet has never been a central figure on a side that has genuinely contended for the MLS Cup playoffs during his time in the league.
Eullaffroy confirmed that Sánchez would not be deployed on the right wing, but would instead likely occupy a central position, with possible opportunities on the left flank within Montréal's 4-3-3 setup.
Currently placed 14th in the Eastern Conference with 16 points from 18 matches, Montréal trail the ninth and final playoff berth by seven points. They will look to Sánchez to spark a remarkable turnaround and clinch a postseason spot for only the second time since 2016.