Former CF Montreal midfielder Choinière returns to Stade Saputo in Canada colours

Honduras' Cristopher Melendez, left, and Canada's Mathieu Choiniere (6) vie for the ball during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match in Vancouver, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns)

It’s been 14 months since Mathieu Choinière played for CF Montreal.

Now, as a member of the Canadian men’s national team preparing for a friendly against Australia at Stade Saputo on Friday, the game is also a homecoming for the Los Angeles FC midfielder.

Born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Choinière had been part of the Montreal Impact and CF Montreal ecosystem since he was 12 years old.

He then graduated from the academy and joined the first team at the age of 19, where the midfielder would log 139 appearances in all competitions.

“I’m nostalgic. I’m just excited to play in this stadium again in front of this crowd. Just being (in the media room) is amazing,” said Choinière, who is joining Canada for its first international game since a 2017 friendly against Curaçao.

“I think I was at that game against Curaçao (in 2017), so now it’s just crazy to be here. I have so many memories.”

When contract negotiations with his boyhood club fell through, the two-time MLS All-Star found a new challenge in the Swiss Super League with Grasshopper Club Zurich.

After struggling with injury and reduced minutes, Choinière made his way back to Major League Soccer, joining Los Angeles on loan.

He has since rediscovered his form, helping LAFC maintain its status as a Western Conference giant and imposing himself on the national team’s depth chart.

“I learned a lot from that moment when I left Montreal. I went (to Grasshopper) and I learned about myself, what style I want to play, what type of player I want to be,” said Choinière. “I’m growing my game, step by step, style by style, and just adding more

There are seven other Canadian players and several members of the staff who have come through Montreal at some point in their careers.

That includes head coach Jesse Marsch, who managed Montreal during its inaugural MLS season in 2012.

Following his dismissal, Marsch’s career has taken him all over Europe before taking over the men’s national team and provided vital experience that he uses in the international game.

The hands-on approach he wants to employ is even more crucial given how young this generation of players is, as only two currently called-up players are over 30 years of age.

“I’ve heard some national team coaches say you can’t develop players at the national team level. That’s ridiculous,” said Marsch, who travelled to Zurich to have dinner with Choinière and check in on the young midfielder’s progress. “You can develop a player at any time, any moment, so that’s what we try to do here.”

Ahead of another window facing two teams in the top 50 of FIFA’s global rankings, Marsch is once again looking at his side to take steps forward, especially against a notably physical Australian side.

The Socceroos have experienced a silverware drought in the last decade, but still rank 40th in the world, and provide a unique challenge for Marsch’s men.

“I think it’s a very stingy team, very organized offensively, and very aggressive. They’re good on set pieces and don’t give much away,” said Marsch. “This will not be an easy match for us. I think one of the things they have is real size and physical presence, and one of the things we have a speed and power.”

There has been some injuries during this window, with defender Moïse Bombito breaking his leg, midfielder Ismaël Koné picking up a knock during training, and goaltender James Pantemis going through concussion protocol.

That adds up for a team already missing defenders Alphonso Davies and Alistair Johnston.

Koné, however, is expected to start against Australia and no long term injuries are currently threatening a player’s involvement in the 2026 World Cup.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025.