2025 season | ||
---|---|---|
General manager | Craig Waibel | |
Head coach | Brian Schmetzer | |
Stadium | Lumen Field | |
Major League Soccer | TBD | |
MLS Cup Playoffs | TBD | |
CONCACAF Champions Cup | TBD | |
FIFA Club World Cup | TBD | |
Leagues Cup | TBD | |
Cascadia Cup | TBD | |
Heritage Cup | TBD | |
The 2025 season is the upcoming 17th season for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It will be the 42nd season for a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team will remain under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his ninth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The Sounders will play a minimum of 42 total matches in MLS competitions, domestic cups, and two international tournaments organized by FIFA and CONCACAF. They qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup based on their 2024 regular season finish and will enter in the first round. The team will also play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which they qualified for as winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. The group stage matches will be played at their home stadium, Lumen Field in Seattle.
The Sounders are one of the most successful MLS teams, with two MLS Cup titles in four appearances since the hiring of head coach Brian Schmetzer in 2016. The team also won the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League and qualified for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup under his tenure, which led to a multi-year contract extension in 2024. [1] The Sounders played a total of 47 matches during the 2024 season across several competitions and finished with an overall record of 22 wins, 13 losses, and 12 draws. [2] They spent the first half of the regular season with a losing record until adjustments to the formation; the Sounders had the best record during the latter half of the MLS season and conceded the fewest goals of any team during the regular season. [3] [4] The team relied heavily on homegrown players and did not sign new players during the summer transfer window despite limited playing time for their winter signings. [4] [5] The Sounders were eliminated in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup and quarterfinals of the Leagues Cup by Los Angeles FC, but defeated them in the MLS Cup Playoffs. [6] The team were eliminated from the playoffs by the LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Final. [7]
On December 4, 2024, the Sounders exercised contract options on six players and declined options on three others. Among the departures was Raúl Ruidíaz, the top goalscorer in the team's MLS era, who played seven seasons with the club. [8] [9] The Sounders are scheduled to open the season in February with the first round of 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup in a home-and-away series against Guatemalan club Antigua GFC. [8] The MLS regular season begins at the end of the month and will include a break for part of the FIFA Club World Cup in June. [10] The Sounders will host their three group stage matches in the Club World Cup at Lumen Field; their opponents are Brazilian club Botafogo, Atlético Madrid of Spain, and Paris Saint-Germain of France. [8] [2]
The Sounders announced a major trade with FC Dallas on January 8, 2025, to acquire American forward Jesús Ferreira in exchange for Brazilian midfielder Léo Chú, an international roster slot, and up to $2.3 million in conditional general allocation money. Ferreira would not use a Designated Player slot during the first years of his three-year contract. [11] General manager Craig Waibel also announced that Jordan Morris would use a Designated Player slot due to meeting performance bonuses in his contract, while Albert Rusnák was re-signed to a new Designated Player contract. [12] Midfielder João Paulo returned on a one-year contract with an option for a second year. On January 13, the Sounders signed midfielder Paul Arriola from FC Dallas in a trade for their 2026 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick and up to $300,000 in general allocation money. [13]
The team's preseason training camp began in Renton on January 13, only 45 days after their final match of the 2023 playoffs. [14] The Sounders entered preseason with no players listed as injured; Jesús Ferreira joined the team early from the United States national team, where he departed training camp to regain fitness after an earlier hamstring injury. [15] The team traveled to the Marbella Football Center in Spain on January 20 to begin the second stage of their preseason, which is scheduled to last 17 days and include matches against European clubs. [16] [17] The initial preseason roster included 26 players signed to the first team and several callups from reserve team Tacoma Defiance. [18] Korean defender Kim Kee-hee, who played for the Sounders in 2019, returned with the signing of a one-year contract on January 28. [19]
The preseason schedule was released by Seattle Sounders FC on January 21, 2025. [20]
January 23 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2–0 | Puskás Akadémia FC | Marbella, Spain |
7:00 am PST |
| Report | Stadium: Marbella Football Center |
January 31 | Seattle Sounders FC | 5–3 | Aalborg BK | Marbella, Spain |
6:00 am PST |
| Report | Stadium: Banús Football Center [21] | |
Note: Played as three 45-minute periods. |
February 5 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | IFK Norrköping | Marbella, Spain |
4:00 am PST | Stadium: La Quinta Football Center [21] |
February 5 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Hammarby IF | Marbella, Spain |
7:00 am PST | Stadium: Marbella Football Center [21] |
February 12 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Louisville City FC | Renton, Washington |
10:30 am PST | Stadium: Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse |
The Sounders are scheduled to play a minimum of 42 matches during the 2025 season due to their participation in multiple competitions. In addition to their MLS regular season play, the team will participate in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup beginning in February, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in June and July, and the 2025 Leagues Cup in July and August. [8] [22] The Sounders will not participate in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, which is limited to 16 entrants from MLS, and will instead be represented by their MLS Next Pro affiliate, Tacoma Defiance. [23]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | San Diego FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
12 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
13 | St. Louis City SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
14 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
24 | San Diego FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
25 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 | St. Louis City SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
28 | Sporting Kansas City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The MLS regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2024. [24] The Sounders will play 34 matches—17 at home and 17 away—primarily against the 14 other teams in the Western Conference; the team will also play six opponents from the Eastern Conference. The regular season will include a break for the FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup in June but continue through the Leagues Cup in August, unlike previous seasons. [25] [26]
February 221 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Charlotte FC | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PST | Stadium: Lumen Field |
March 12 | Real Salt Lake | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Sandy, Utah |
1:30 pm PST | Stadium: America First Field |
March 83 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Los Angeles FC | Seattle, Washington |
1:30 pm PST | Stadium: Lumen Field |
March 154 | St. Louis City SC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | St. Louis, Missouri |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Energizer Park |
March 225 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Houston Dynamo FC | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
March 296 (HC) | San Jose Earthquakes | v | Seattle Sounders FC | San Jose, California |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: PayPal Park |
April 57 | San Diego FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | San Diego, California |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
April 128 | FC Dallas | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Frisco, Texas |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Toyota Stadium |
April 199 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Nashville SC | Seattle, Washington |
4:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
April 2610 | Colorado Rapids | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Commerce City, Colorado |
6:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park |
May 311 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | St. Louis City SC | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
May 1012 | Houston Dynamo FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Houston, Texas |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium |
May 1413 | Los Angeles FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Los Angeles, California |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: BMO Stadium |
May 1714 (CC) | Portland Timbers | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Portland, Oregon |
6:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Providence Park |
May 2415 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | FC Dallas | Seattle, Washington |
12:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
May 2816 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | San Diego FC | Seattle, Washington |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
June 117 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Minnesota United FC | Seattle, Washington |
3:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
June 818 (CC) | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Vancouver, British Columbia |
6:00 pm PDT | Stadium: BC Place |
June 2819 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Austin FC | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
July 620 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Columbus Crew | Seattle, Washington |
2:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
July 1221 | Sporting Kansas City | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Kansas City, Kansas |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Children's Mercy Park |
July 1622 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Colorado Rapids | Seattle, Washington |
6:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
July 1923 (HC) | Seattle Sounders FC | v | San Jose Earthquakes | Seattle, Washington |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
July 2624 | Atlanta United FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Atlanta, Georgia |
4:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadiun |
August 1025 | LA Galaxy | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Carson, California |
7:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park |
August 1626 | Minnesota United FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Allianz Field |
August 2427 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Sporting Kansas City | Seattle, Washington |
6:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
August 3028 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Real Salt Lake | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
September 1329 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | LA Galaxy | Seattle, Washington |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
September 1630 | Inter Miami CF | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
4:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Chase Stadium |
September 2031 | Austin FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Austin, Texas |
5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Q2 Stadium |
September 2732 (CC) | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
October 433 (CC) | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Portland Timbers | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
October 1834 | New York City FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | New York City, New York |
3:00 pm PDT | Stadium: TBA |
The Sounders will play in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the regional club championship for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, for the eighth season since entering MLS. The team qualified for the tournament based on the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield standings using a seed vacated by the LA Galaxy after they won MLS Cup 2024. [27] The Sounders were placed into Pot 1 as one of the top eight clubs in the CONCACAF Club Rankings for the round one draw. [28]
February 19 First leg | Antigua | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Antigua, Guatemala |
5:00 pm PST | Stadium: Estadio Pensativo |
February 26 Second leg | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Antigua | Seattle, Washington |
7:30 pm PST | Stadium: Lumen Field |
The Sounders will play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the first edition of the expanded worldwide club competition, having qualified as winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. [29] They will host their group stage matches at Lumen Field in Seattle. [29]
The draw for the group stage was held on December 5, 2024. Seattle Sounders FC was in pot 4 but automatically assigned to Group B for scheduling purposes. [30]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAR | ATM | BOT | SEA | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paris Saint-Germain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout stage | — | ||||
2 | Atlético Madrid | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |||||
3 | Botafogo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | |||||
4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
June 15 | Botafogo | v | Seattle Sounders FC | Seattle, Washington |
7:00 pm PDT | Report | Stadium: Lumen Field |
June 19 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Atlético Madrid | Seattle, Washington |
3:00 pm PDT | Report | Stadium: Lumen Field |
June 23 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | Paris Saint-Germain | Seattle, Washington |
12:00 pm PDT | Report | Stadium: Lumen Field |
The 2025 Leagues Cup, which is scheduled to run concurrently with the regular season from July 29 to August 31, will include 18 teams from MLS and 18 teams from Liga MX in a modified format from the previous edition, which had included all MLS teams. The top nine MLS teams in each conference based on the 2024 regular season standings qualified for the tournament. [31] The Sounders were placed in the second tier of the Western group and will play against three Liga MX opponents in the first phase. [32] [33]
TBA | Seattle Sounders FC | v | TBA | Seattle, Washington |
TBA | Stadium: Lumen Field |
TBA | Seattle Sounders FC | v | TBA | Seattle, Washington |
TBA | Stadium: Lumen Field |
TBA | Seattle Sounders FC | v | TBA | Seattle, Washington |
TBA | Stadium: Lumen Field |
As of January 14,2025 [update] , the Sounders have $4.2 million in available general allocation money that can be used for trades or contract modifications. [34]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2025 season across all competitions. Ages listed for each player is calculated from February 22, 2025, the first matchday of the MLS regular season.
Technical staff | |
---|---|
Head coach | Brian Schmetzer (USA) |
Assistant coach | Preki (USA) |
Director of goalkeeping | Tom Dutra (USA) |
Assistant coach | Freddy Juarez (USA) |
Assistant coach | Andy Rose (ENG) |
For transfers in, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially signed the player to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when Seattle Sounders FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.
Player | No. | Pos. | Previous team | Notes | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leo Burney (USA) | 4 | DF | Pennsylvania Quakers (USA) | Homegrown Player | December 11, 2024 [38] |
Travian Sousa (USA) | 3 | DF | Tacoma Defiance (USA) | December 11, 2024 [38] | |
Jesús Ferreira (USA) | 9 | FW | FC Dallas (USA) | Traded for Léo Chú, an international roster slot, $1 million in 2025 general allocation money, $500,000 in 2026 general allocation money, and up to $800,000 in allocation money [39] | January 8, 2025 [39] |
Paul Arriola (USA) | 17 | MF | FC Dallas (USA) | Traded for 2026 MLS SuperDraft first-round pick and up to $300,000 in general allocation money [40] | January 8, 2025 [40] |
Kim Kee-hee (KOR) | — | DF | Ulsan HD FC (KOR) | One-year contract with option for 2026 [41] | January 28, 2025 [41] |
Player | No. | Pos. | New team | Notes | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sota Kitahara (USA) | 77 | MF | Option declined [42] | December 4, 2024 | |
Nathan (BRA) | 4 | DF | Option declined [42] | December 4, 2024 | |
Raúl Ruidíaz (PER) | 9 | FW | Out of contract [42] | December 4, 2024 | |
Dylan Teves (USA) | 99 | FW | Option declined [42] | December 4, 2024 | |
Léo Chú (BRA) | 23 | FW | FC Dallas (USA) | Traded to FC Dallas for Jesús Ferreira, an international roster slot, and general allocation money [39] | January 8, 2025 |
Braudílio Rodrigues (POR) | 27 | MF | Waived [18] | January 22, 2025 |
Draft picks were not automatically signed to the team roster. Only those who are signed to a contract were listed as transfers in. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes.
Player | Nationality | Round | Pick | Pos. | Previous team | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ryan Baer | United States | 1st | 28 | MF | West Virginia Mountineers (USA) | |
Demian Alvarez | United States | 2nd | 58 | DF | Seattle Redhawks (USA) | |
Trace Terry | United States | 3rd | 76 | FW | Bowling Green Falcons (USA) |
Fredy Henkyer Montero Muñoz, known as Fredy Montero (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈfɾeðimonˈteɾo], is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Deportivo Cali. He was the all-time top scorer for the Seattle Sounders until being surpassed by Raúl Ruidíaz in 2024. He scored 79 goals with the club across two stints: from 2009 to 2012, and from 2021 to 2023. Montero has been called up to the Colombia national team five times, scoring once in an unofficial match against Catalonia.
Osvaldo Alonso Moreno is a Cuban former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He defected from Cuba in 2007 and became a U.S. citizen in 2012. During his decade-long career with Seattle Sounders FC, Alonso played as a defensive midfielder who was known for his style of harassing, tackling and covering the field, while getting forward to supply enough offense to be considered a threat. This style of play had earned the nickname "Honey Badger" from Seattle fans for his fearless, aggressive playing style.
Stefan Frei is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. Born in Switzerland, Frei moved with his family to the United States as a teenager. He has spent his entire professional career playing in Major League Soccer.
Kelyn Jaynes Rowe is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder.
João Paulo Mior, known as João Paulo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC.
Jordan Perry Morris is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger or forward for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC and the United States national team. He grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, and joined the Sounders youth academy before playing college soccer at Stanford University.
Cristian Roldan is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC.
Nouhou Tolo, sometimes known mononymically as Nouhou, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC and the Cameroon national team. He represented Cameroon at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Héber Araujo dos Santos, commonly known as Héber, is a Brazilian professional footballer who played most recently as a forward for Chinese Super League club Cangzhou Mighty Lions.
Jesús David Ferreira Castro is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. Born in Colombia, he represents the United States national team.
Alexander Roldán León is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. Born in the United States, he played for the El Salvador national team.
The 2019 Seattle Sounders FC season was the club's eleventh season in Major League Soccer, the United States' top-tier of professional soccer. The 2019 season was Brian Schmetzer's third full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders. Seattle-based Zulily became the official jersey sponsor of the Sounders in the 2019 season.
MLS Cup 2020 was the 25th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), and was played at Mapfre Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. The match was originally set to take place on November 7, 2020, but was postponed to December 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the adjusted MLS season schedule. The match was contested by Columbus Crew SC and Seattle Sounders FC, the defending champions from MLS Cup 2019.
The 2020 season was Seattle Sounders FC's twelfth season in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It was the 37th season played by a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his fourth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The 2021 Seattle Sounders FC season was the club's thirty-eighth year of existence, and their thirteenth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his fifth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders. Seattle were the reigning Western Conference champions and lost to Columbus Crew SC in the MLS Cup 3–0.
The 2022 season was Seattle Sounders FC's 14th in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of American club soccer. It was the 39th season played by a professional team bearing the Sounders name. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his sixth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The 2023 season was the 40th season of Seattle Sounders FC, a professional soccer team based in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was their 15th year in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of American soccer, and the 40th season played by a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team was under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his seventh full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The 2024 season was the sixteenth season for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It was the 41st season for a professional team bearing the Sounders name, which had originated in 1974 with the first incarnation of the franchise. The team remained under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his eighth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The 2025 Inter Miami CF season will be the sixth season for Inter Miami CF, a professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team plays in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of club soccer in the United States, as a member of the Eastern Conference. The year also marks the 22nd season of first-division club soccer in South Florida. In addition to playing in the MLS regular season, Inter Miami CF will compete in the CONCACAF Champions Cup for the second time and the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time.