Bizarre story of the USMNT player with lifetime ban from Canadian soccer league

The United States men’s national team is back in action this month during a January training camp comprised of largely domestic-based players. Friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica will give head coach Mauricio Pochettino the chance to take a look at some fringe players and younger options, but one selection has left some fans bemused.

Attacking midfielder Matko Miljevic has been called up for the senior national team for the first time, having represented both the US and Argentina at youth level. Miljevic is undoubtedly a player with talent but he is currently without a club and his poor disciplinary record appears to have burnt bridges in MLS.

Why was Matko Miljevic banned for life in Canada?

After coming through at Argentinos Juniors, the first club of Diego Maradona, a 20-year-old Miljevic was snapped up by MLS side CF Montréal in 2021. He showed some promise in early games but his time in Canada was cut short by a bizarre incident in a local amateur league.

The Montreal Gazette reports that Miljevic has been barred for life from the Quebec Calcetto Soccer League for punching and spitting at an opponent during an on-pitch exchange. Miljevic, still contracted to Montreal, was playing under a fake name after becoming frustrated at a lack of opportunities with his club and joining to play with a friend

Not only was he hit with an indefinite ban from the amateur league in question, he also saw his contract with CF Montreal terminated after an MLS investigation had been carried out. Miljevic was adjudged to have been “engaging in conduct detrimental to the league and violating his standard player agreement,” according to the report.

After officially leaving Montreal in September 2023, Miljevic returned to Argentina to sign for Newell’s Old Boys the following February. He made 22 appearances for the club across 2024 before being released this year. His latest exit is also though to be behaviour-related, with reports suggesting that he hurled insults at coaching staff after being substituted on more than one occasion.

Pochettino’s decision to hand a first senior call-up to Miljevic - given his poor disciplinary record and sub-par MLS performances - has raised eyebrows. However given that the January friendlies are not part of a designated FIFA window, teams are under no obligation to make players available. Miljevic may simply be another name to fill out the squad.

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