“The stadium can be brilliant. So just finish the job.”
That was the line from Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber on Thursday, speaking in Montreal ahead of Canada’s World Cup warm-up against Ireland, as he pressed the province to fund a broader renovation of the stadium built for the 1976 Summer Olympics, now otherwise known as the “Big Owe.”
Garber, who has run MLS since 1999 and oversaw its expansion into Canada, said the project is essential to CF Montréal’s long-term future and also could transform the much-maligned venue into one of the world’s premier soccer stadiums.
Quebec pressed ahead with the $870-million roof replacement, which is expected to be completed in 2028. But the province has not yet approved funding for a wider redevelopment of the interior.
Garber stressed that replacing the roof alone would not be enough.
“We’re going to fix the roof and play (on) the inside, which doesn’t have premium, which doesn’t have a best-in-class experience. I don’t know why anybody would want that,” he said. “My goal is to tell everyone, we’re excited — try to get those who are going to be responsible for the incremental funding that has been discussed, and try to get it over the finish line.”
[EN DIRECT] Le commissaire de la MLS, Don Garber, s’adresse aux médias au Stade Saputo. / [LIVE] MLS Commissioner Don Garber speaks to the media at Stade Saputo. #CFMTL https://t.co/IfIyQOERO6
— CF Montréal (@cfmontreal) June 4, 2026
Garber said he had been shown plans that would transform the Olympic Stadium into a modern venue capable of hosting major sporting events, concerts and other international attractions.
“If this vision can be fully realized, Montreal will have one of the great stadiums in the entire world,” he said.
The issue has become increasingly important for CF Montréal — founded and owned by the Saputo family for more than three decades — following the league’s decision to switch to a fall-to-spring calendar. The decision leaves northern clubs facing more winter fixtures.
As a result, Montreal started to explore playing some matches at the Olympic Stadium while continuing to use Stade Saputo, its open-air, roughly 20,000-seat home, during warmer months. Last year, club president Gabriel Gervais described a “hybrid solution” in which the team would divide games between the two venues.
The Olympic Stadium during a Montreal/Toronto MLS playoff match in November 2016. The stadium can hold about 60,000 people for a soccer match, versus 19,619 for Stade Saputo next door. Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette files
But Garber said the Olympic Stadium offered the club an opportunity to generate revenues unavailable at Stade Saputo, dismissing suggestions that MLS should instead focus on expanding the club’s existing home.
“This was an MLS 1.0 stadium,” he said of Stade Saputo. “It needs to be an MLS 3.0 stadium. We don’t believe that can happen here.”
Garber, who said he has overseen the construction of 26 stadiums in North America during his tenure, said he was struck by the scale of the proposed redevelopment.
“I’m not saying this because I want it to happen. I was blown away by the vision,” he said, describing plans for an iconic tower visible across the city. “Coming in from the airport, as far as your eye can see, you can see the Olympic Stadium.”
Earlier this year, Olympic Park officials said the new roof will allow the stadium to operate year-round and could generate an estimated $750 million in direct and indirect economic activity.
Asked whether he was concerned about CF Montréal’s future if the project failed to proceed, Garber said the club’s ownership remained committed but needed a facility capable of generating greater commercial revenues.
“What they want is to have a best-in-class facility to be able to drive revenue,” he said.
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I’ve been writing for the Montreal Gazette since 2023. My favourite stories are ones that make you think and I’m always looking for new ways to tell them. At McGill, I studied economics and computer science. Now I live in the city’s Plateau, where I wear Doc Martens to try and blend in among the hipsters. Got a story? Email me.
hnorth@postmedia.com