Montreal Soccer, a pool of emerging talents

CF Montreal playing at Saputo Stadium in 2023. Archive photo by Matthew Piscina / The Concordian

Soccer is rapidly developing in Montreal.

For local soccer fans, names like Mathieu Choinière, Ismaël Koné, and Moïse Bombito represent Montreal’s growing presence in the sport. These players symbolize a new era, where homegrown talent from the city is making moves in Canada and on the global stage, including major European leagues.

Montreal has evolved into a hotspot for soccer, producing talent that now competes at the highest levels. Canada’s participation in the 2024 Copa América highlighted this growth, with five Quebec-born players making the men’s national team’s 26-player roster. 

Though Ontario still leads Canadian provinces with 15 players on the squad, Quebec’s representation has grown since the 2022 World Cup, during which the team had only three Quebec-born players. 

Out of the five Quebec players in the team this year, all were raised in the greater Montreal area.

The five Quebecers in this historic Copa América squad are Maxime Crépeau, Ismaël Koné, Mathieu Choinière, Moïse Bombito, and Samuel Piette. Two of these players play at the highest standing of North American soccer leagues, Major League Soccer (MLS), and the other three joined European clubs this summer, which showcases growing talent from the city.

For players like Lundon Durand Browne, a 23-year-old student-athlete for the Concordia Stingers, the recent developments in Montreal soccer are inspiring. Browne explained that European transfers of local talents serve as a beacon of hope for new players.

“This growth brings more visibility to Quebec soccer for young players,” said Browne. “It feels more realistic for players from here to make the jump now.” 

Canada’s rise in international soccer is undeniable, but this ascent feels particularly important for Montreal fans. The summer transfer window of 2024 saw some exciting moves, especially for players from Montreal.

Ismaël Koné, who started at CS Saint-Laurent before joining CF Montréal, took the next step in his career by moving to Olympique de Marseille, a French Ligue 1 giant and historic club. This marks a significant chapter in his career, having previously played in the English Championship, the second tier of English football.

Moïse Bombito took a slightly different path. After his early development at CS Saint-Laurent, he played college soccer at Ahuntsic College before moving to the U.S. to continue his career. After a professional start with Colorado Rapids in the MLS, Bombito signed with Ligue 1’s OGC Nice, becoming a direct rival of Koné.

Lastly, CF Montreal’s star midfielder Mathieu Choiniere moved to Switzerland’s Grasshopper Club Zurich this summer. 

While CF Montréal has long been the city’s biggest professional team, Montreal’s soccer scene extends beyond the MLS. The Ligue 1 Quebec, a semi-professional league founded in 2011, has become a home for local talent. Most of its teams are from the greater Montreal area such as clubs like CS Saint-Laurent which excelled at developing future stars, including Koné and Bombito.

Browne attributes some of this progress to the competition against American teams, which has spurred local talent development. “We’ve been overlooked for years,” he said.

With Canada set to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup with the United States and Mexico, Browne believes that local soccer will continue to thrive, despite the fact that Montreal is not set to host any World Cup matches. “What comes after [the World Cup] is going to be interesting,” said Browne.

Montreal’s soccer scene’s recent eruption of talent, transfers, and international recognition make it an up-and-coming force in Canadian soccer, and its growth shows no signs of slowing down.

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