CF Montréal are back in action.
The Impact visit California to take on San Diego in week one of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, hoping to turn the page on consecutive disappointing campaigns. It will be the first-ever matchup between the two sides.
How CF Montréal enter the match
It's the first competitive match of the season for the club, unlike their opponents. Montréal held a pre-season camp in Florida, taking on the likes of Philadelphia and Tampa Bay Rowdies of the USL, winning 4-2 and drawing 2-2, respectively.
The club have made several changes to their roster across the off-season, bringing in defenders Dagur Dan Þórhallsson, Tomás 'Toto' Avilés (loan from Inter Miami), and Brayan Vera, midfielders Wiki Carmona and Ivan Losenko (loan from FC Shakhtar Donetsk), and forwards Daniel Ríos and Noah Streit. Moving up from the academy are Félix Samson and goalkeeper Samsy Keita. Defender Josh-Duc Nteziryayo had also signed a homegrown contract but suffered an injury in pre-season that will sideline him for the entire season.
Departures include Tom Pearce, now a regular starter at Chesterfield FC of the English fourth tier, Fernando Álvarez, Bryce Duke, Giacomo Vrioni, Alessandro Biello, Matías Cóccaro, Dante Sealy, Jonathan Sirois, and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.
Head coach Marco Donadel was named permanent head coach for the 2026 and 2027 seasons following his interim spell in 2025.
How San Diego enter the match
The league's newest club returns from a 4-2 aggregate victory over Pumas in round one of the Concacaf Champions Cup, becoming the only team to eliminate a Mexican side in this year's edition so far. LigaMX champions Toluca await in the round of 16.
San Diego finished first in the Western Conference last year in their debut season, reaching the conference final before falling to the Vancouver Whitecaps at home.
Absences and doubts
On Montréal's side, Fabian Herbers is out with a lower-body injury, while San Diego will be without Alejandro Alvarado Jr., Emmanuel Boateng, Wilson Eisner, Willy Kumado, Andres Reyes, and Pablo Sisniega, with the latter being suspended. Lewis Morgan has been listed as questionable.
Projected XI
CF Montréal (3-4-2-1): Thomas Gillier; Tomás Avilés, Brayan Vera, Efrain Morales; Bode Hidalgo, Victor Loturi, Hennadiy Synchuk, Dagur Dan Þórhallsson; Olger Escobar, Noah Streit; Prince Owusu
Game information and how to watch
📆 Saturday, February 21, 2026
⏰ 10:30 pm ET / 7:00 pm PT
📺 MLS Season Pass, TSN, RDS
👤 Joe Dickerson
🏟 Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, United States
