In the XIX century, sports were an important part of the Montreal community, with early forms of rugby, soccer (in summer), and ice hockey (in winter), an even baseball. McGill students used to participate in those sporting activities in late 1840s and early 1850s.[1]
The game series vs Harvard University in 1874 was the first recorded game in any form of "football" played by McGill
The McGill team travelled to Cambridge to meet Harvard. On May 14, 1874, the first game, played under Harvard's rules, was won by Harvard with a score of 3–0.[6] The next day, the two teams played under "McGill" rugby rules to a scoreless tie.[7] The games featured a round ball instead of a rugby-style oblong ball.[6] This series of games represents an important milestone in the development of the modern game of American football.[8][9] In October 1874, the Harvard team once again travelled to Montreal to play McGill in rugby, where they won by three tries.
Nevertheless, the first soccer team, i.e. the first squad playing under the Football Associationrules was fielded in 1898, playing exhibition games and participating in local leagues such as the Montreal City and District League. Teams were composed of mostly medical students due to medicine was the only faculty operating during the season months (usually summer). Nevertheless McGill would not participate in intercollegiate competition until 1906, when the team joined forces with Queen's and the Toronto Universities for a round-robin tournament championship.[1]
The program won their first national championship in 1981, after defeating Alberta 4–2 on penalties, following a scoreless regular time.[10] One year later, McGill won their second consecutive title after a 1–0 to Victoria in the final.[11]
The third and last to date title came in 1997, when McGill defeated British Columbia 5–4 on penalties after a regular time with no goals scored.[12]
McGill had one of their most successful regular seasons in recent history in Fall 2018, finishing with a 5–4–3 Conference record, and placing fourth in the RSEQ conference. The team went on to lose to Montreal in the RSEQ playoffs.
Players
The soccer program at McGill operates throughout the entire school year. In addition to the regular U Sports fall season, the men's team also compete in the RSEQ indoor season running from January to mid March.
Current roster
As of January 2026[update][13]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Striker Mehdi Ibn Brahim and central midfielder Ramzi Saim were selected for the RSEQ All Star first team. Defender Chris Flores and striker Florian Bettelli were selected for the RSEQ Second Team and Rookie Team of the Year. Head Coach Marc Mounicot won the Coach of the Year in the RSEQ.
Ramzi Saim went on to gain a further accolade winning a place in the All Canadian Second Team of the Year whilst Florian Bettelli was selected for the All Canadian Rookie Team of the Year.[14]
↑"No Christian End!"(PDF). The Journey to Camp: The Origins of American Football to 1889. Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
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