The 2025 season is the 17th season for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It is 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 remains under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his ninth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
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 eventual league champion LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Final.[7]
Summary
Preseason
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 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 $2.3million in conditional general allocation money. Ferreira would not use a Designated Player slot during the first years of his three-year contract.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]
The team's preseason training camp began in Renton on January 13, only 45 days after their final match of the 2024 playoffs.[13] 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.[14] The team traveled to the Marbella Football Center in Spain on January 20 to begin the second stage of their preseason, which would include matches against European clubs.[15][16] The initial preseason roster included 26 players signed to the first team and several callups from reserve team Tacoma Defiance.[17] Korean defender Kim Kee-hee, who played for the Sounders in 2019, returned with the signing of a one-year contract on January 28.[18]
During their first friendlies in Spain, the Sounders defeated Puskás Akadémia FC of Hungary and Aalborg BK of Denmark. The final two matches of the three-week camp were played against Swedish sides IFK Norrköping and Hammarby IF on the same day; both ended in draws.[19][20] The team returned to the Longacres training facility on February 6 and played their final preseason friendly, against Louisville City FC of the USL Championship.[20] The Sounders won 4–0 with a brace from midfielder Pedro de la Vega in the first scrimmage and a 3–0 win in the second scrimmage.[21] Midfielder Josh Atencio was traded to the Colorado Rapids on February 15 for $1.3million in general allocation money to be split between two seasons.[22]
The club introduced a new secondary jersey for the 2025 season, named the "Salish Sea Kit", in February 2025. It uses several shades of blue arranged in triangular Salish weaving patterns with light blue and green accents.[23] The jersey was designed in collaboration with three Coast Salish artists from local tribes: Connie McCloud of the Puyallup Tribe, Gail White Eagle of the Muckleshoot Tribe, and Danielle Morsette of the Suquamish Tribe. The jersey includes the Southern Lushootseed phrase x̌ax̌aʔ ti qʷuʔ and its English translation ("water is sacred") on the front and a stylized orca tail on the back.[24][25] It is the first Sounders jersey to be primarily blue since the Pacific Blue kit used in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.[23]
February and March
The first regular season goal conceded by the Sounders against Charlotte FC, February 22
The Sounders opened their season on February 19 with the first round of 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, their eight appearance in the competition, against Guatemalan club Antigua GFC. They won 3–1 in the away leg with Paul Arriola scoring in the third minute, followed by Pedro de la Vega and Albert Rusnák in the second half; it was the team's first away victory in Central America since 2012.[26] The Sounders returned to Seattle for their first match of the MLS regular season, which they hosted three days later against Charlotte FC. The teams drew 2–2 with two goals from Jordan Morris and an own goal in stoppage time by Yeimar. The brace from Morris allowed him to match Raúl Ruidíaz's club-record 86 goals.[27] In the second leg against Antigua GFC, the Sounders won 3–1 at home with Arriola scoring again and a brace from de la Vega.[28]
In their first away match of the regular season, the team traveled to Real Salt Lake and were held scoreless in a 2–0 loss at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. The Sounders extended their winless streak in regular season play that began in 2011 after defender Nouhou scored an own goal early in the match and the team conceded a 79th minute goal to Forster Ajago.[29] The Sounders returned to Seattle four days later for the first leg of their Champions Cup round of 16 series against Cruz Azul, one of the most successful Liga MX teams. They played to a scoreless draw while several starting players for Cruz Azul were rested.[30] The team earned their first win of the regular season with a rotated lineup that defeated Los Angeles FC 5–2. Loaned defender Kalani Kossa-Rienzi opened the scoring in the 11th minute and was followed by four goals in the second half. Jordan Morris scored his 87th goal across all competitions for the Sounders, surpassing the all-time record across all three iterations of the club.[31]
The Sounders were eliminated from the Champions Cup after losing 4–1 in their second leg against Cruz Azul, which was played at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City. During the match, Arriola tore his left anterior cruciate ligament, while Morris injured his hamstring.[32] The team's unbeaten streak in CONCACAF play ended at 13 matches, which set the record for longest in MLS history.[33]
The MLS regular season will last until October and includes a break for part of the FIFA Club World Cup in June.[34] 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.[2][8] The team will also play in the 2025 Leagues Cup against three Mexican teams at Lumen Field; as a result, the Sounders will not play in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup and will instead be represented by reserve team Tacoma Defiance.[35]
Non-competitive matches
Preseason
The preseason schedule was released by Seattle Sounders FC on January 21, 2025.[36]
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][38] 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.[39]
Updated to match(es) played on April 6, 2025. Source: MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Updated to match(es) played on April 5, 2025. Source: MLS Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Source: MLS A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Regular season
The MLS regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2024.[40] 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.[41][42]
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.[43] The Sounders were placed into Pot 1 as one of the top eight clubs in the CONCACAF Club Rankings for the round one draw.[44]
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.[46]
First match(es) will be played: July 29, 2025. Source: Leagues Cup
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.[47] The Sounders were placed in the second tier of the Western group and will play against three Liga MX opponents in the first phase.[48][49]
For the 2025 season, the Sounders were permitted a maximum of 30 signed players on the first team, of which 10 roster positions were designated for supplemental and reserve players. Additional homegrown players are eligible to be signed to off-roster slots and are able to appear in MLS matches through short-term agreements.[50] The senior players in the first 20 roster positions count towards a base salary cap of $5.95million with exceptions for certain categories, including up to three Designated Players who counted for a set amount in the cap.[50] The Sounders chose the Designated Player model for roster construction and have three unused under-22 initiative slots.[51]
As of January14,2025[update], the Sounders have $4.2million in available general allocation money that can be used for trades or contract modifications.[52]
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.
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.
Traded for $650,000 in 2025 general allocation money, $650,000 in 2026 general allocation money, and $300,000 in additional general allocation money based on performance.[22]
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.
2025 MLS SuperDraft picks for Seattle Sounders FC[64]
On December 20, 2024, Seattle Sounders FC sold two international roster slots to the New York Red Bulls for $300,000 in 2025 general allocation money and $50,000 in 2026 general allocation money.[66]
On February 19, 2025, Seattle Sounders FC transferred their discovery rights for Matheus Nascimento to the LA Galaxy for $50,000 in general allocation money and an additional $150,000 in 2026 general allocation money if the Galaxy sign him to a permanent contract.[67]
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