Alexis Sánchez's New Journey in Montreal: A Chance for Redemption
Alexis Sánchez arrives in Montreal with a suitcase full of stamps on his passport and a career that refuses to fade quietly.
Since that ill-fated, high-profile move to Old Trafford in January 2018, his journey has felt more like a restless tour than a settled football career. Just 45 games for Manchester United, then off to Inter, first on loan and then more permanently. A sharp burst of goals at Marseille, a return to Udinese, another spell in Milan, and most recently a season in Spain with Sevilla in 2025-26. One 18-goal campaign in France aside, the numbers have slowed for the 37-year-old. The reputation, though, still walks into a room before he does.
Now the bet is simple: that a lost spark can be found again on Canadian soil.
Sagna’s warning: “First, he’ll need to adapt to the cold”
Bacary Sagna knows exactly what awaits Alexis in Montreal. The former France international, who finished his own career there after spells with Manchester City and Benevento, has seen the first signs that the Chilean’s class hasn’t gone anywhere.
“He will need to adapt to the cold first! Trust me, it's cold,” Sagna told GOAL, speaking on behalf of BetVictor Online Casino. “But Alexis Sanchez is a top player. I had some feedback already and people were impressed at his first session, they could see the difference of quality, they could see why he is Alexis Sanchez.”
That last line matters. Because for a few years now, the question around Sánchez hasn’t been who he was, but whether that player still exists.
Sagna is in no doubt.
“I think it's very important for him to just enjoy football again and to show why he's been performing for Arsenal, why he's been in the top 20 best players in the world at some point. MLS will notice this soon because he's a top player and I'm pleased to see him playing for Montreal and hopefully he will have a great impact.”
Enjoyment. Freedom. Impact. Words that haven’t always been attached to Alexis since he left Arsenal at the peak of his powers.
Montreal, not Miami: a different kind of American dream
When European stars picture MLS, their minds usually drift south: the beaches of Miami, the skyline of New York, the glamour of Los Angeles. Alexis has chosen something else entirely.
Sagna did the same in 2018. He stayed for a season and a half and loved it so much he ended up living in Canada for three years.
“The lifestyle is very good. I think the ecosystem is made for a great family life. It's an amazing country,” he said. “I lived there for three years. It's a well-balanced country, you have the seasons and people live well. I was in Montreal, beautiful city. It's a European aspect with U.S. infrastructure.”
That mix matters for a player like Alexis. He has spent his career in intense, unforgiving football environments: Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, Inter. Montreal offers something softer around the edges without lowering the football demands.
Sagna even sells the winter.
“Even winter, I mean I love the sun but I enjoyed winter there because I could go walking for two hours on the snow in the park with a hot chocolate and it grounded you. I think not many places are like that today in the world we live in today.”
He’s not exaggerating Montreal’s appeal. “It’s amongst the best places to live - Montreal was in the top five of the best places to live in the world at some point. It’s fun, the vibe is good, people are happy and it's a nice country. Also, people speak both languages, French and English, and you have a big Spanish community being in North America also.”
For a South American star in the twilight of his career, that blend of languages, cultures and comfort is not a minor detail. It can be the difference between one last slog and one last act.
Two years to write the final chapter
Alexis has signed a two-year contract with Montreal, joining in August 2026. This isn’t a quick cameo or a retirement tour squeezed into a few months. The club is giving him time: to settle, to adapt to the climate, to find his rhythm, to become a reference point again.
The comparison is obvious and impossible to ignore. His former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi has turned MLS into his personal playground with Inter Miami, rewriting what late-career dominance can look like in North America.
Alexis has already had a close-up reminder of just how ruthless Messi still is. The 39-year-old Argentine scored four of Inter Miami’s seven goals in a crushing win over Canadian opposition at Nu Stadium, a performance that underlined how high the bar remains for any veteran star arriving on this side of the Atlantic.
No one is asking Sánchez to be Messi. That ship sailed long ago. What Montreal and MLS want is something different: the Arsenal version of Alexis, scaled to his age, trimmed of the chaos but not the competitive fire.
Sagna believes that player is still there. The early training-ground whispers in Montreal suggest the same. The technique hasn’t dulled. The intensity still flickers.
Now comes the real test: can a 37-year-old who has wandered across Europe for nearly a decade finally stop, breathe in the cold Canadian air, and turn one last stop into a statement rather than an epilogue?
