Messi in July. A long forced exile in winter. But an accumulation of home matches at the end of the season. All this gives rise to the “most favorable schedule in the history” of CF Montreal, according to the club’s sales director, who is once again aiming for a full sold-out season. Analysis of the new MLS calendar for the CFM, in a few observations.
Posted at 2:00 p.m.
Updated at 2:07 p.m.
Miami to Montreal in July… will Messi be there?
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Lionel Messi
Let’s start with the question on everyone’s lips. When is Lionel Messi and Inter Miami visiting Montreal?
The match is scheduled for July 5. Right during the Club World Cup, in which Miami is participating. Is it risky to bet on Messi coming to Montreal on this date?
Yes and no. Here’s why.
For Floridians, the group stage ends on June 23. If they are eliminated at this time, it is almost two weeks of break before the meeting at Saputo stadium. Messi’s fresh legs could therefore come and set foot on the beautiful lawn of the Montreal enclosure.
On the other hand, if they are still involved at the beginning of July in what would be the quarter-finals, the match in Montreal could be postponed.
But that doesn’t worry Roberto Linhares, the club’s senior sales director, at all.
“In fact, it’s a win-winhe said in an interview with The Press. July is a phenomenal month for ticket sales. To have a big poster like Miami is really interesting. […] If they go very far in the Club World Cup and our match is postponed, it doesn’t change the fact that we would have that match later in the season. Regardless, it’s going to be a big game. »
Another long winter journey
This will be the specificity of CF Montreal for a few more seasons: in the absence of the Olympic Stadium, it will have to start its calendar on the road. This time, it will be seven consecutive away matches at the start of the campaign. Last year, it was six.
And it will start on February 22, in Atlanta. The same team that eliminated CF Montreal in the preliminary round of the playoffs last October.
There will then be matches against Minnesota, Vancouver, DC, Nashville, Chicago, then Columbus.
In 2024, at the beginning of the Laurent Courtois era, the CFM did not do badly, with two victories in the first three matches, only to lose the next three.
Montreal will finally return to Saputo Stadium on April 12, against Charlotte FC, after a month and a half on the road.
Home for the home stretch
Then it gets very interesting. And particularly at the end of the campaign. In 2025, the Montreal eleven will play 7 of its last 11 matches at Saputo stadium.
Particularly because of the return of matches to Montreal in August. In the last two seasons, the League Cup between MLS and Liga MX meant that the MLS calendar was interrupted during the last month of summer.
This is now a thing of the past. And from Linhares’ and sales point of view, the fact that all matches from August onwards are on Saturdays, “is fantastic”.
He is also delighted that the vast majority of matches take place on the most auspicious day of the weekend. At Saputo stadium, there will only be two matches on Wednesday, while there are usually between three and six, explains Roberto Linhares. One of them will be the day after Midsummer’s Day, against Cincinnati.
In my opinion, this is our most favorable schedule, in terms of ticket sales, in the history of the club. […] Not only are the dates very good, but there are also big posters. Toronto in the afternoon on May 17. Then LAFC, which we haven’t seen since 2018, right after.
Roberto Linhares, chief sales officer of CF Montreal
Sportingly, the advantage of finishing the season essentially at home is undeniable. CF Montreal also has three streaks of three consecutive games at home. It never happened that he was able to play three games at Saputo Stadium in a row last season. It only happened once in 2023.
The regular season will end on October 18, with the famous Decisive Day. The series schedule will be revealed later.
What are the objectives for season tickets?
In 2024, the CFM sought a record number of subscribers, with a maximum possible of 15,000. It is aiming for the same target in 2025.
“We are very satisfied with the renewals,” Roberto Linhares tells us. We achieved our objectives. »
He expects “busy weeks” now that the calendar is out. “We hope that within a while, we will be at the same figure. […] We have a natural turnover every year. A new account is going to be more vulnerable than an old account, for example. »
We spoke to him almost on this date last year. The sales director “dreamed” at the time that all home matches in 2024 would be sold out. His wish was granted, which was a record for the CFM. Is the same dream achievable this time?
“Everything is in place for us to continue on this path,” he believes. With the release of the calendar today, it could be a very interesting few weeks, even months in terms of ticket sales. »
We ask him if there will be a return of partial six-game season tickets, like last year: “We’ll see after the holidays where we are,” he replies.
