Toronto FC (6W-10L-11T, 29 points) return home to renew their rivalry with CF Montréal (6W-15L-6T, 24 points) in the latest edition of the 401 Derby at BMO Field on Saturday afternoon. The Matchday 29 encounter in Toronto, Ontario kicks off at 1:00 p.m. ET and will be available globally in English, Spanish and French on Apple TV.

The Reds enter Saturday’s showdown eager to return to winning ways after their seven-match unbeaten run (4W-3T) from July 16 to September 9 was halted by three consecutive road defeats in September. Historically, TFC hold a 17W-14L-7T record against Montréal through 38 regular season meetings and are currently unbeaten in their last five head-to-head MLS meetings dating back to May 2024. On Saturday, the Reds will look to extend that streak and secure their first home victory over the Bleu-blanc-noir since May 2024.

HOME SWEET HOME

Toronto FC return from the FIFA international break with the latest edition of the 401 Derby against CF Montréal on Saturday afternoon. Unbeaten in their last five home matches since the FIFA World Cup 26™ break, TFC hold an all-time regular season record of 129W-101L-92T (479 points) on home soil to date. As part of the Reds’ inaugural WWE collaboration game, the first 5,000 fans at BMO Field will score an exclusive TFC x WWE tee at BMO Field on Saturday.

RED vs. BLUE – THROUGH THE YEARS

TFC renew their rivalry with arch-rivals CF Montréal in the 39^th all-time MLS regular season meeting between the two Canadian clubs. Toronto FC holds a 17W-14L-7T record through the previous 38 meetings and are unbeaten in their last five MLS meetings against Montréal, posting three wins and two draws dating back to May 18, 2024. The two clubs played to a goalless draw on July 16 in their first MLS match following the FIFA World Cup 26™ break. On Saturday, the Reds will look to record their first home win over the Bleu-blanc-noir since May 18, 2024, when a Federico Bernardeschi hat-trick, along with goals from Matty Longstaff and Prince Owusu, powered the hosts to a dominant 5-1 victory.

STEP BY STEP

The Reds enter Matchday 29 looking to return to winning ways after their seven-match unbeaten run (4W-3T) from July 16 to September 9 was followed by three straight road defeats. On September 19, Toronto fell 3-1 to St. Louis CITY SC at Energizer Park, with Alexandru Mățan opening the scoring before second-half strikes from Tomas Totland and Simon Becher extended the hosts’ lead. Theo Corbeanu pulled one back in the 97^th minute, heading home Alonso Coello’s set-piece delivery for his fifth goal contribution (two goals, three assists) of the season, while Coello recorded his eighth assist. St. Louis CITY SC ultimately held on for the three points, extending their unbeaten run to 18 matches.

A week later, TFC suffered a 2-0 defeat to Nashville SC at GEODIS Park, with Hany Mukhtar scoring twice in the first half for the Supporters’ Shield leaders. Luka Gavran made nine saves to keep the Reds within reach, while Alejandro Piedrahita made his club debut as a 73^rd minute substitute, becoming the 16^th player to debut for TFC this season. On the night, Lewis Morgan also made his 150^th MLS appearance, while Derrick Etienne Jr. recorded his 250^th MLS appearance.

TEAM OF THE MATCHDAY

TFC goalkeeper Luka Gavran was named to the MLS Team of the Matchday (bench) for Matchday 28 following a standout nine-save performance against Supporters’ Shield-leading Nashville SC. The Hamilton, Ontario native faced a season-high 11 shots on target, denying Elias Saad from close range in the 26^th minute and Cristian Espinoza in the 43^rd minute to keep the Reds within reach. Gavran continued his standout night after the break, making three saves in 15 seconds in the 66^th minute to deny Sam Surridge and Reed Baker-Whiting twice. The honour marks Gavran’s second MLS Team of the Matchday selection with TFC. In total, the Reds have now earned 11 MLS Team of the Matchday selections during the 2026 MLS regular season – Josh Sargent (3), Niklas Dorsch (2), Luka Gavran (2) Emilio Aristizábal (1), José Cifuentes (1), Richie Laryea (1) and Walker Zimmerman (1).

MILESTONE WATCH

Luka Gavran has made 49 combined appearances for Toronto FC since making his club debut against New York City FC on September 24, 2023. The Canadian goalkeeper’s next appearance will mark his 50^th for the Reds.

FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY

A number of Reds spent time with their respective countries during the September-October 2026 FIFA International Window. Richie Laryea logged 206 minutes across two starts in Canada’s wins over Chile and Peru and loss to the United States. Richard Chukwu earned his first cap for Les Rouges as a late substitute against Chile before making his first start against Peru. Theo Corbeanu joined the Canadian camp as a squad replacement ahead of their final friendly and was an unused substitute against the United States. Markus Cimermancic made his debut for the Slovenian National U-21 Team, starting in a 4-2 loss to the Netherlands in a 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier. On October 6, Nolan was also named to The Guardian's "Next Generation 2026" list of the 60 best young football talents in the world.

Toronto FC II forward Jahmarie Nolan also earned his first senior international call-up with Jamaica after representing the nation at multiple youth levels. The 16-year-old made his debut against El Salvador, recording an assist in the 2-0 win, becoming the youngest player in the 21^st century to represent Jamaica at the senior level and the first 2009-born player to feature for the Reggae Boyz. Nolan also came off the bench for a 28-minute cameo in Jamaica’s 1-1 draw against Honduras three days later in 2026-27 CONCACAF Nations League A action.

ONCE A RED

Familiar faces remain on both sides of the 401 Derby, with three players on each MLS roster having previously suited up for their arch-rivals. TFC midfielder Djordje Mihailovic spent two seasons (2021-22) with CF Montréal, where he recorded 16 goals and 24 assists in 68 appearances and helped the Bleu-blanc-noir capture the 2021 Canadian Championship. Forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint also spent three seasons (2023-25) in Montréal, registering three goals and five assists in 45 appearances, while defender Raheem Edwards tallied two goals and five assists across 42 appearances during two spells with the club (2018, 2024) following his MLS debut season with Toronto FC in 2017.

For CF Montréal, Luca Petrasso, Prince Owusu and Matty Longstaff all previously began their MLS careers with the Reds. Defender Luca Petrasso joined the TFC Academy in January 2013 and progressed through the youth ranks, including four seasons with Toronto FC II, before signing a Homegrown Player contract in January 2022. He made 27 appearances during his lone season with the Reds. Forward Prince Owusu joined Toronto in August 2023, scoring 12 goals in 45 appearances across two MLS seasons (2023, 2024), while midfielder Matty Longstaff arrived in February 2024 and recorded three goals and three assists in 57 appearances before joining Montréal via trade in August 2025.