There's no denying Nashville SC now.
Nashville put the stamp on its historic regular season claiming the MLS Supporters' Shield on Oct. 24 with a 2-0 victory over CF Montréal (6-7-18, 25 points) at Stade Saputo. With the Supporters' Shield, NSC secures home-field advantage throughout MLS Cup playoffs.
Nashville SC (21-7-3, 70 points) becomes the sixth MLS side to claim the Supporters' Shield with three matches to play and now sits four points away from equaling the league's all-time points record. The victory also tied a club record for regular season road wins with seven.
"For us it's a huge step forward for the club, for the city and the connection that we have with the supporters. That's the name of the trophy, right?" NSC coach B.J. Callaghan said. "I think it's a testament to the work that's been done, leading with the owner John Ingram's vision and the day-to-day process that we continue to abide by …
"It also validates that the work we're doing is good work and the vision that we're looking for, we're on the right track."
More: How did enigmatic coach B.J. Callaghan lead Nashville SC atop MLS? | Exclusive
While it was a rather muted celebration from Nashville SC on the pitch following the final whistle, the ski goggles awaited players in a soon-to-be champagne soaked away locker room. The party won't last long though, with Nashville SC still in pursuit of its ultimate goal, the MLS Cup.
"I can tell you that the locker room celebration is quite joyous at the moment," Callaghan said. "But again, this group is humble and hungry. Of course we're going to enjoy the Supporters' Shield. It's a major accomplishment for this team.
"We're going to celebrate it really hard tonight, but at the same time, everybody knows that we have more work to do. And we take pride in the work that we're doing. The group in private is very excited, we're going to continue that, and then we'll get back to work tomorrow.
It was a tale of two halves against Montréal, with Nashville registering just one shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, before the club's top two goalscorers Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar delivered a pair of second-half goals to secure NSC's second-ever trophy.
Mukhtar has now scored seven goals in NSC's last six matches , while Surridge is up to 18 league goals on the season. NSC also secured its fourth shutout in the last six matches, with goalkeeper Brian Schwake setting a new club record with 14 regular season shutouts.
"They had to grind. They had to battle," Callaghan said if his team. "It wasn't the prettiest, but this is the point in the season where we've leaned on a lot of our experiences from earlier in the year and know how to manage these games, find moments to execute ... to continue to get results no matter home or away."
Nashville SC is back in action at home against the Philadelphia Union on Oct. 28.
See The Tennessean's updates from throughout Nashville SC's Shield-clinching win over CF Montréal below.
03:33 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Nashville SC has claimed the MLS Supporters' Shield with a 2-0 win over CF Montréal, spurred by Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar's second-half goals.
03:15 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Nashville SC has taken a 2-0 lead in the 76th minute after Hany Mukhtar's interception in the attacking third led to a chance on goal. As Montréal looked to pass out of the back, Mukhtar stepped in to intercept the ball before driving into the box for a close-range shot. He was pulled back by a Montréal defender, but as he hit the deck, still managed to slip a shot under Montréal keeper Samsy Keita.
It's the sixth straight match in which Mukhtar has scored, a new career best for NSC's captain.
03:04 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
NSC coach B.J. Callaghan has made his first substitutions of the match, with Eddi Tagseth and Warren Madrigal entering for Matthew Corcoran and Elias Saad in the 67th minute.
02:50 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Nashville SC has taken a 1-0 lead in the 52nd minute after Sam Surridge finished off a Reed Baker-Whiting cross in front of goal. A botched clearance from Montréal handed Baker-Whiting the ball inside the box and he whipped a cross into the back post where Surridge would nod a header into the feet of Montréal keeper Samsy Keita. The initial shot was saved but it rebounded back to Surridge, who volleyed home the second-chance opportunity to give NSC the lead.
02:30 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Nashville SC and Montréal remain scoreless after a relatively quiet opening 45 minutes in terms of scoring chances. NSC held 58.2% possession but registered just a single shot on target, while Montréal totaled five shots, forcing three saves out of goalkeeper Brian Schwake. Sam Surridge had an early chance saved by 17-year-old Montréal keeper Samsy Keita and from then on NSC was largely foiled in the attacking third.
If this result holds, Nashville SC will claim the MLS Supporters' Shield.
01:40 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Nashville SC's Eastern Conference match against CF Montréal is underway. Stay tuned for updates.
01:16 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
12:35 PM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
10:50 AM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Moneyline:Nashville -175, draw +320, Montréal +380
Over/under:2.5 goals (over -175, under +140)
Odds via DraftKings, as of Oct. 23
10:45 AM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Oct. 28:vs. Philadelphia Union
Nov. 1:vs. New York Red Bulls
Nov. 7:at FC Cincinnati
Nov. 22:Eastern Conference playoffs match one (opponent TBD)
10:40 AM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Date:Saturday, Oct. 24
Time:12:30 p.m. CT
Location:Stade Saputo, Montréal
10:35 AM ET, October 24 2026, Harrison Campbell
Nashville SC's Eastern Conference match against CF Montréal will air exclusively on Apple TV .
Streaming: Apple TV
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How Nashville SC claimed the MLS Supporters' Shield with win over CF Montréal
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