Toronto FC (3W-6L-5T, 14 points) resume their 2026 MLS season with a marquee rivalry clash against CF Montréal (4W-8L-2T, 14 points) at Stade Saputo on Thursday evening. The Matchday 16 showdown in Montréal, Quebec kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be available globally in English, Spanish and French on Apple TV and on TSN4/5 & RDS in Canada.
The Reds renew their rivalry with CF Montréal in the latest edition of the 401 Derby upon returning from the FIFA World Cup 26™ break. Historically, Toronto holds a 17W-14L-6T advantage through 37 all-time MLS regular season meetings against CF Montréal and will look to record a third straight road win over the Bleu-blanc-noir after a hard-fought 1-0 victory and an emphatic 6-1 triumph at Stade Saputo over the past two MLS seasons.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
Toronto FC return from the FIFA World Cup 26™ break with a marquee rivalry matchup against CF Montréal on Thursday evening. Following a pair of away losses prior to the league’s seven-week pause, the Reds hold a 58W-176L-79T all-time record (253 points) in MLS regular season road matches to date.
RED v BLUE – THROUGH THE YEARS
TFC hit the road to face arch-rivals CF Montréal in the latest edition of the 401 Derby, marking the 38th all-time MLS regular season meeting between the two Canadian clubs. Toronto FC holds a 17W-14L-6T advantage across the previous 37 league meetings and have also enjoyed success on the road, posting a 10W-9L-1T combined regular season record at Stade Saputo and the Olympic Stadium.
The Reds have won each of their last two MLS visits to Montréal and will be aiming to replicate last season's emphatic 6-1 victory on May 17, 2025, courtesy of goals from Tyrese Spicer, Federico Bernardeschi (2), Ola Brynhildsen and Theo Corbeanu (2). Toronto is also currently unbeaten in their last four MLS meetings with the Bleu-blanc-noir, posting a 3W-1T record dating back to May 18, 2024.
The two Eastern Conference clubs will meet once again in 2026, with TFC set to host CF Montréal at BMO Field on Saturday, October 10, to conclude the 2026 MLS regular season series.
REDS ON THE WORLD STAGE
This summer, a record 45 active Major League Soccer players were named to FIFA World Cup 2026™ rosters, marking the most in league history. The significant milestone also represented the highest total of players from any league in the Western Hemisphere and the second-most outside of the top five European leagues. Across the United States, Canada and Mexico, 16 host cities welcomed 104 matches during the 23rd edition of the month-long tournament. Five MLS stadiums played host to World Cup matches during the break, including Toronto Stadium (home of Toronto FC), which hosted six matches highlighted by Canada’s historic first-ever Men’s FIFA World Cup match on home soil against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12 and a memorable Round of 32 showdown between Portugal and Croatia on July 2.
Three Toronto FC players represented their nations on football's biggest stage. Club captain Jonathan Osorio and defender Richie Laryea were part of Canada’s 26-man roster that enjoyed a historic tournament run. Laryea started all five matches, logging 431 minutes, while Osorio made two substitute appearances as Les Rouges recorded their first Men’s FIFA World Cup point (vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina), first victory (vs. Qatar) and first-ever knockout win (vs. South Africa). Derrick Etienne Jr. also made history by representing Haiti, making his FIFA World Cup debut as a second-half substitute against Brazil in Group C action.
ALL-STAR BOUND
On July 8, Major Soccer League announced that Toronto FC defender Richie Laryea was selected for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game. The 2026 edition will feature the MLS All-Stars taking on the LIGA MX All-Stars on Wednesday, July 29 at the Bank of America Stadum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Laryea joins the MLS All-Star team after being one of two selections made by MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, alongside Red Bull New York forward Julian Hall. This will be Laryea’s first MLS All-Star Game invitation and he becomes the 10th player to be selected from TFC since the club’s inaugural 2007 season. Toronto FC’s all-time All-Star list, in addition to Laryea, includes Ronnie O’Brien (2007), Jim Brennan (2008), Dwayne De Rosario (2009, 2010), Jermain Defoe (2014), Jozy Altidore (2015, 2017), Michael Bradley (2014, 2015, 2017), Sebastian Giovinco (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), Alejandro Pozuelo (2019) and Federico Bernardeschi (2024).
INS & OUTS
Toronto FC made several roster moves during the FIFA World Cup 26™ break. On June 29, the Reds announced that midfielder José Cifuentes had returned to Rangers Football Club (Scottish Premiership) following the completion of his loan with TFC. Cifuentes, 27, made 17 appearances, recording one goal and four assists since joining the Reds in August 2025. Four days later, TFC waived and exercised a Buyout of a Guaranteed contract on defender Henry Wingo, while also agreeing to a mutual contract termination with forward Cassius Mailula.
On July 6, Toronto FC acquired midfielder Nelson Palacio in a cash-for-player trade from Real Salt Lake, in exchange for $1.1 million and up to $550,000 in conditional cash if certain performance-based metrics are met. Palacio, 25, spent the 2025/26 season with FC Zürich on loan from Real Salt Lake, where he made 34 combined appearances. He signed a professional contract with Real Salt Lake in June 2023 and made 55 appearances for the Western Conference club across three seasons (2023, 2024, 2025). The Apartadó, Colombia native originally joined Atlético Nacional at the age of six before signing his first professional contract with the First Team at the age of 18. Palacio scored three goals in 85 appearances across three seasons (2021, 2022, 2023) for Atlético Nacional and helped Los Verdolagas lift the Copa Colombia (2021), CategorÃa Primera A – Apertura (2022) and Superliga Colombiana (2023) titles. Internationally, the midfielder represented Colombia at the U-23 level and earned one cap with the Colombian Men’s National Team.
Off the field, the Reds also strengthened their staff with the appointment of Adam Brett as Director of Player Health and High Performance. Brett will oversee the club’s Performance and Medical Department, leading an integrated approach to player health, performance and athlete development for the First Team. He joins the Reds with more than 20 years of experience in elite sport, including over a decade in English professional football split between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Brighton & Hove Albion.
ONCE A RED
A trio of players on each club's MLS roster have previously represented their respective 401 Derby rivals. Toronto FC Designated Player Djordje Mihailovic spent two seasons (2021-22) with CF Montréal, recording 16 goals and 24 assists in 68 appearances while helping the Bleu-blanc-noir capture the 2021 Canadian Championship. Forward Jules-Anthony Vilsaint also spent three seasons (2023-25) with CF Montréal, tallying three goals and five assists in 45 appearances. Following his MLS debut season with Toronto FC in 2017, defender Raheem Edwards registered two goals and five assists in 42 combined appearances across two spells with CF Montréal (2018, 2024).
On the other side, CF Montréal's Luca Petrasso, Prince Owusu and Matty Longstaff all previously wore the red of Toronto FC. Petrasso joined the Toronto FC Academy in January 2013 and progressed through the ranks, including four seasons with Toronto FC II, before signing a Homegrown Player contract in January 2022. The defender made 27 appearances during his lone season with the Reds. Owusu joined TFC in August 2023 and scored 12 goals in 45 appearances across two MLS seasons (2023, 2024). Longstaff signed with the Reds in February 2024, registering three goals and three assists in 57 appearances before being traded to CF Montréal during the Secondary Transfer Window in August 2025.
