No active CF Montreal players selected for Team Canada, a first since 2009

Canada midfielder Samuel Piette (6) celebrates with forward Theodor Corbeanu (11) after Corbeanu scored a goal during the second half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match against Martinique Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Kansas City, Kan. (Charlie Riedel/The Canadian Press)

No active CF Montreal players were selected among the 24 chosen by Team Canada for the upcoming FIFA window in September, which will include international friendly matches against Romania and Wales.

This is a first since 2009.

Of the group, only Canadian defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty still belongs to the Bleu-blanc-noir, but has been loaned to Charlotte FC until the end of the 2025 season.

Several former members of the Montreal eleven were selected by head coach Jesse Marsch, himself a former coach of the Montreal club.

Among them are Nathan Saliba and Mathieu Choinière, who were trained at the club before being transferred.

Quebecers Maxime Crépeau, Ismaël Koné, Zorhan Bassong and Jamie Knight-Lebel are also on the list.

Canada will first face Romania (48th in the FIFA rankings) on Sept. 5 at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest, followed by a match against Wales (31st in the FIFA rankings) on Sept. 9 at the Swansea.com Stadium in Swansea.

“Romania and Wales are two formidable opponents, and playing abroad is always a big challenge. These are exactly the types of games that will show us where we stand and what areas we still need to improve on with less than a year to go before the World Cup,” Marsch said in a statement released by Soccer Canada.

These matches mark the first-ever meeting between Canada and Romania and the fourth between Canada and Wales as the men’s national team continues its preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

Team Canada recently moved up two spots in the latest FIFA Men’s World Ranking, climbing to 28th place, which is the highest FIFA ranking in the federation’s history, surpassing the previous record (30th place) set in March 2025.

Canada will then return home to Montreal for a friendly match against Australia on Oct. 10 at Saputo Stadium, marking its first match in Quebec since 2017.

The window will conclude with an away match against Colombia on Oct. 14 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey.

Canada’s roster

Goalkeepers

• Maxime Crépeau (Portland)
• Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota)
• Jayden Hibbert (Atlanta)

Defenders

• Zorhan Bassong (Kansas City)
• Derek Cornelius (Marseille)
• Luc de Fougerolles (Dendre)
• Jamie Knight-Lebel (Bristol)
• Richie Laryea (Toronto)
• Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (Charlotte)
• Niko Sigur (Split)
• Joel Waterman (Chicago)

Midfielders

• Ali Ahmed (Vancouver)
• Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal)
• Mathieu Choinière (LAFC)
• Stephen Eustaquio (Porto)
• Junior Hoilett (Hibernian)
• Ismaël Koné (Sassuolo)
• Jayden Nelson (Vancouver)
• Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht)
• Jacob Shaffelburg (Nashville)

Forwards

• Jonathan David (Juventus)
• Promise David (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise)
• Cyle Larin (Mallorca)
• Tani Oluwaseyi (Minnesota)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 26, 2025.