CF Montréal defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty posted screenshots of racially abusive messages to his Instagram account on Jan. 21, 2026, saying the abuse — including racial slurs and monkey emojis — has been going on “for a while” and that he will not let it continue. His club strongly condemned the comments.
‘Enough is enough’
Marshall-Rutty, 21, explained his decision in a lengthy Instagram story before sharing screenshots of the messages, with the accounts that sent them visible. He said he was speaking up not only for himself but for anyone who has to endure the same treatment.
“As a footballer, we tend to have to ‘deal’ with certain things, but enough is enough, and I am sticking up for not just myself but for anyone who has to go through this,” he wrote. “I will not allow this to go on anymore. I am a human being just like everyone else.”
Some of the posts he shared contain racial slurs or monkey emojis. Marshall-Rutty, who is of Jamaican, German and Mi’kmaq descent, said the abuse has been going on for “a while” and that he will not let it continue.
A rivalry move, and a line drawn
The Canadian international said he understood heated reaction when he arrived in Montreal from Toronto FC in 2024, placing him in the middle of one of the most intense rivalries in Major League Soccer.
“I came to MTL from Toronto FC and from day 1 certain fans abused me because I played for ‘Toronto’, which I understood because it is a passionate rivalry and means a lot to a lot of people. But what I will not accept is what has been going on for a while now,” he wrote. “In this profession there will always be hate comments or speeches which we have to deal with, but I continue to get racially abused.”
By making the messages public with the senders’ accounts visible, Marshall-Rutty joined a growing number of players using their own platforms to expose online abuse and push for accountability rather than quietly deleting it.
Club and league response
CF Montréal backed its player publicly. In a statement supporting Marshall-Rutty, the club said it “strongly condemns” the comments and is in contact with Major League Soccer to review the situation.
Marshall-Rutty was born in Brampton, Ont., and came up through the Toronto FC system before being traded to rival Montreal in 2024. He spent the 2025 MLS season on loan to Charlotte FC and has since returned to Montreal ahead of the 2026 campaign.
He also remains part of the Canadian national team picture: he played in Canada’s 1-0 win over Guatemala in Los Angeles on the Saturday before his posts. He turns 22 during this summer’s World Cup on home soil and, while he is not expected to make Canada’s 2026 squad, he could play a significant role for the national team by 2030.
Marshall-Rutty’s stand also lands as he returns to Montreal from his season on loan to Charlotte, preparing for the 2026 MLS campaign. By naming the accounts instead of deleting the messages, he put the onus on the platforms, the club and the league to act — exactly the accountability he said he was seeking for himself and for any other player in the same position.
