The 2025 season was the 17th season for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. It was 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 remained under the management of Brian Schmetzer in his ninth full MLS season as head coach of the Sounders.
The Sounders played a total of 50 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 entered in the first round. The team also played in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which they qualified for as winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. The team played three group stage matches at their home stadium, Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, and did not advance to the knockout stage.
The team won the 2025 Leagues Cup by defeating Inter Miami CF 3âÂÂ0 in the final match, which was played at Lumen Field. It was their first Leagues Cup title and represented the final North American trophy that the club had yet to win. The Sounders finished fifth in the Western Conference standings during the regular season and qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs. They were eliminated in the first round by Minnesota United FC after a penalty shootout in the third and final match of the series. Across all competitions, the Sounders had a record of 23 wins, 13 losses, and 14 draws; Danny Musovski was the top goalscorer for the team with 18 goals in all competitions. The Sounders had an average home attendance of 30,993 during the regular season.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. The team were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual league champion LA Galaxy in the Western Conference Final.
On December 4, 2024, the Sounders exercised contract options on six players and declined options on three others. Among the departures was Raúl RuidÃÂaz, the top goalscorer in the team's MLS era, who played seven seasons with the club. 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. Under the three-year contract, Ferreira did not initially occupy a Designated Player slot. 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. 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.
The team's preseason training camp began in Renton on January 13, only 45 days after their final match of the 2024 playoffs. 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. The team traveled to the Marbella Football Center in Spain on January 20 to begin the second stage of their preseason, which included matches against European clubs. The initial preseason roster included 26 players signed to the first team and several callups from reserve team Tacoma Defiance. Korean defender Kim Kee-hee, who played for the Sounders in 2019, returned with the signing of a one-year contract on January 28.
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. 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. The Sounders won 4âÂÂ0 with a brace from midfielder Pedro de la Vega in the first scrimmage and a 3âÂÂ0 win in the second scrimmage. Midfielder Josh Atencio was traded to the Colorado Rapids on February 15 for $1.3 million in general allocation money to be split between two seasons.
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. 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 included the Southern Lushootseed phrase xÃÂaxÃÂaàti q÷uàand its English translation ("water is sacred") on the front and a stylized orca tail on the back. It was the first Sounders jersey to be primarily blue since the Pacific Blue kit used in the 2016 and 2017 seasons. A blue-and-white throwback kit, named the "Orca Kit", was introduced in July to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the 1995 A-League championship won by the Sounders' previous incarnation.
The Sounders opened their season on February 19 with the first round of 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, their eighth appearance in the competition, against Guatemalan club Antigua GFC. They won 3âÂÂ1 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. 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 2âÂÂ2 with two goals from Jordan Morris and an own goal in stoppage time by Yeimar. The brace from Morris allowed him to match Raúl RuidÃÂaz's club-record 86 goals. In the second leg against Antigua GFC, the Sounders won 3âÂÂ1 at home with Arriola scoring again and a brace from de la Vega.
In their first away match of the regular season, the team traveled to Real Salt Lake and were held scoreless in a 2âÂÂ0 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. 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. The team earned their first win of the regular season with a rotated lineup that defeated Los Angeles FC 5âÂÂ2. 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.
The Sounders were eliminated from the Champions Cup after losing 4âÂÂ1 in their second leg against Cruz Azul, which was played at the Estadio OlÃÂmpico Universitario in Mexico City. During the match, Arriola tore his left anterior cruciate ligament, while Morris injured his hamstring. The team's unbeaten streak in CONCACAF play ended at 13 matches, which set the record for longest in MLS history. The Sounders returned to MLS play with a four-match winless streak that included three shutouts, among them a 3âÂÂ0 loss to expansion side San Diego FC. Arriola was placed on the season-ending injury list to free up space in the salary cap to sign another midfielder; his replacement, English winger Ryan Kent, was signed on March 31 outside of the normal transfer window.
Danny Musovski, who had become the starting striker after Jordan Morris was injured twice, scored in five consecutive matches, of which the Sounders won four and drew once to begin a stretch of road games. After a loss and a draw on the road, the Sounders returned to Lumen Field and won a pair of matches but conceded their first home loss to Minnesota United FC. The match had been preceded by a protest by the team's players, who sought a share of prize money for the FIFA Club World Cup. Majority owner Adrian Hanauer declined to comment, but confronted the team's players according to media reports. The Sounders ended their first half of league play with a 3âÂÂ0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who fielded several reserve players due to cases of food poisoning after the Champions Cup final. Through the first half of the season, the team mostly played in a 3âÂÂ4âÂÂ3 formation that used pairs of wide midfielders and attacking midfielders to control the attacking third.
The team qualified for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup as winners of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League and Seattle was named one of the host cities for the 32-team tournament. The Sounders were drawn into Group B, labeled the "group of death", alongside Botafogo of Brazil (winners of the Copa Libertadores), Atlético Madrid of Spain, and Paris Saint-Germain of France (winners of the UEFA Champions League). The MLS regular season was paused for the duration of the Club World Cup's group stage in June; the artificial surface at Lumen Field was covered by a temporary grass pitch for the six matches it hosted during the tournament. The Sounders opened the group stage with a 2âÂÂ1 loss to Botafogo after they conceded two goals in the first half. Cristian Roldan became the first MLS player to score in the Club World Cup with his header in the 75th minute, but the team were unable to score an equalizer despite a 23âÂÂ12 advantage in shots.
The Sounders made five changes to the starting lineup and were defeated 3âÂÂ1 by Atlético Madrid in the second match, which featured three goals in an eight-minute span. Pablo Barrios opened the scoring for Atlético Madrid in the 11th minute, but the home side had several scoring chances in the first half. Axel Witsel extended the lead in the 47th minute, but Albert Rusnák broke the shutout with a deflected shot in the 50th minute. Barrios scored his second goal of the match in the 55th minute. The Sounders were eliminated from the Club World Cup with a 2âÂÂ0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in their third group stage match, having needed a four-goal win and a favorable result in another match to advance to the knockout stage. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored with his shoulder on a deflected shot in the 35th minute and was followed by a finish by Achraf Hakimi in the 66th minute. The Sounders earned $9.55million in prize money as group stage participants from CONCACAF and distributed $1.4million to players per an agreement between MLS and the MLS Players Association. The team had an average of 44,138spectators for its three Club World Cup matches, with Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain both drawing over 50,000.
The team received praise for their Club World Cup performance, including from Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique, and returned to MLS play at seventh place in the Western Conference. The Sounders were undefeated through the end of July with six matches evenly split between wins and draws despite injuries to several key players. The first three matches of the run were marred by a series of red cards issued to the team's players, including an incident in which defender Nouhou threw a ball at a fan in Kansas City, Kansas, and was suspended for two matches. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei left in stoppage time of a match against the Columbus Crew with a concussion after an accidental collision with Amar SejdiÃÂ; he missed several matches during his six-week recovery and was replaced by backup goalkeeper Andrew Thomas. The unbeaten streak ended at ten matches across all competitions with a 1âÂÂ0 away loss to Minnesota United FC on August 16.
The Sounders were one of eighteen MLS teams to play in the 2025 Leagues Cup, an international tournament held by MLS and Liga MX of Mexico. As a result, the team did not play in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup and were instead be represented by reserve team Tacoma Defiance. They opened the three-match Leagues Cup league stage with a 7âÂÂ0 defeat of Cruz Azul at Lumen Field, setting a record for the largest margin of victory for an MLS team against a Liga MX opponent. All seven goals were scored in the second half, with two from Pedro de la Vega; his second goal, a volley in the opening minute of stoppage time, was nominated for a FIFA Puskás Award. The Sounders then won 2âÂÂ1 against Santos Laguna in the second match, which ended with the winning goal scored by winger Georgi Minoungou shortly before he was ejected for a second yellow card during his celebration. Seattle finished the league phase with a 2âÂÂ1 defeat of Club Tijuana in the third matchday after they had conceded in the first half's stoppage time. The Sounders were the only team to win all three matches in the league phase and finished atop the MLS table.
Seattle played to a scoreless draw against Club Puebla in the quarterfinals and won 4âÂÂ3 in the penalty shootout, during which Andrew Thomas made two saves. Danny Musovski, the team's starting striker, was sent off during a dispute with the referee and suspended for the remainder of the tournament; rookie Osaze De Rosario was the starter in the final two matches for the team. The Sounders qualified for the Leagues Cup final with a 2âÂÂ0 win against the LA Galaxy, who hosted the semifinal due to their seeding as MLS Cup 2024 champions. Seattle hosted the final against Inter Miami CF at Lumen Field and drew a tournament-record crowd of 69,314 spectators. The Sounders won 3âÂÂ0 with goals from De Rosario, Alex Roldán, and Paul Rothrock; the post-match ceremony was delayed after a fight broke out between players and staff from both teams, during which Luis Suárez spat on a Sounders staffer. It was the team's first Leagues Cup title and the final North American trophy that the club had yet to win.
Between the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Leagues Cup, the team defeated Sporting Kansas City 5âÂÂ2 in their sole regular season match. Musovski became the eighth player to score a hat-trick in MLS play for the Sounders. After the Leagues Cup final and a two-week break for national team competitions, the Sounders returned to play the remaining seven matches of the regular season. The team drew 2âÂÂ2 with the LA Galaxy at home and were defeated 3âÂÂ1 by Inter Miami CF in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in a rematch of the Leagues Cup final. The Sounders were winless through September, which ended with a 2âÂÂ2 draw with Vancouver, but qualified for the MLS Cup playoffs while awaiting the return of several key players from their injuries. The team won at home against the Portland Timbers for the first time in eight years with a 1âÂÂ0 score as all three Designated Players started for the first time since July. Due to their lack of available outfield players, the team signed three reserve players from the Tacoma Defiance under the "extreme hardship" rules set by MLS. The Sounders finished the regular season with a 2âÂÂ1 win against New York City FC at Citi Field in New York City, but lost Pedro de la Vega to a knee injury.
The Sounders finished fifth in the Western Conference and entered the MLS Cup playoffs in the best-of-three round against Minnesota United FC, who were the fourth seed and held home-field advantage. The first leg, hosted by Minnesota United FC, was a scoreless draw that ended with a 3âÂÂ2 win in the penalty shootout for the home team. The Sounders returned to Lumen Field for the second leg and opened the match with three goals in the first half but conceded two goals to Minnesota in stoppage time for a half-time score of 3âÂÂ2. The team held the score and added a goal from Paul Rothrock in the 86th minute to win 4âÂÂ2. The deciding third leg, played once again in Minnesota, began with two goals in the opening eight minutes for the Sounders; a red card was shown to Minnesota's Joseph Rosales before half-time, which gave Seattle an advantage in numbers. The team conceded three goals to Minnesota United FC, but Jordan Morris scored in the 88th minute to preserve a 3âÂÂ3 draw; goalkeeper Stefan Frei was substituted for backup Andrew Thomas for the penalty shootout. Thomas dislocated his finger during the first round of the shootout, but continued and made several saves; the match ended in the tenth round with Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair scoring and Thomas missing his follow-up.
The team were eliminated from the playoffs and had an overall record of 23 wins, 13 losses, and 14 draws during the 2025 season. The Sounders scored 87 goals, setting a new team record, and Danny Musovski was the top goalscorer for the team with 18 goals in all competitions. The team had one loss in their 17 home matches during the regular season, which matched a franchise record. Midfielder Cristian Roldan was named to the MLS Best XI and called up to the United States national team based on his performance with the Sounders during the season. The Sounders had an average home attendance of 30,993 during the regular season, ranking third among MLS teams behind Atlanta United FC and Charlotte FC.
During the 2025âÂÂ26 offseason, the Sounders released several key players into free agency or declined contract options. João Paulo announced his departure after six seasons, while homegrown player Danny Leyva was signed by Club Necaxa in Liga MX. Stefan Frei and Paul Rothrock, who both became free agents, were signed to new contracts. The Sounders will enter the 2026 season with a modified scheduled to accommodate renovations to Lumen Field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The team will participate in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup due to their Leagues Cup title as well as the 2026 Leagues Cup.
The preseason schedule was released by Seattle Sounders FC on January 21, 2025.
The Sounders played a total of 50 matches during the 2025 season due to their participation in multiple competitions. In addition to their MLS regular season play, the team participated 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. The Sounders did not participate in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, which is limited to 16 entrants from MLS, and was instead represented by their MLS Next Pro affiliate, Tacoma Defiance.
The MLS regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2024. The Sounders played 34 matchesâÂÂ17 at home and 17 awayâÂÂprimarily against the 14 other teams in the Western Conference; the team played six opponents from the Eastern Conference. The regular season included a break for the FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup in June but continued through the Leagues Cup in August, unlike previous seasons.
The Sounders played 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. The Sounders were placed into Pot 1 as one of the top eight clubs in the CONCACAF Club Rankings for the round one draw.
The Sounders played 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. They hosted their group stage matches at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The draw for the group stage was held on December 5, 2024. Seattle Sounders FC was placed in pot 4, but automatically assigned to Group B for scheduling purposes.
The 2025 Leagues Cup, which ran concurrently with the regular season from July 29 to August 31, included 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. The Sounders were placed in the second tier of the Western group and played against three Liga MX opponents in the first phase.
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. The senior players in the first 20 roster positions count towards a base salary cap of $5.95 million with exceptions for certain categories, including up to three Designated Players, who counted for a set amount in the cap. The Sounders chose the Designated Player model for roster construction and have three unused under-22 initiative slots.
The Sounders had $4.2 million in available general allocation money during the winter transfer window that could be used for trades or contract modifications. By May, the team had $1.15 million in remaining general allocation money.
A total of 28 players made at least one appearance for the Sounders during the 2025 season across all competitions. Forward Jesús Ferreira and midfielder Paul Rothrock tied for the most appearances overall at 48 matches. Stefan Frei made the most appearances as goalkeeper at 35 matches. Danny Musovski was the team's leading goalscorer in 2025 with 18 goals across all competitions.
<div style="overflow:auto">
</div>
The MLS season has two normal transfer windows during which teams can register new players from outside of the league and those who required an International Transfer Certificate. The primary window was open from January 31 to April 23, while a secondary window ran from July 24 to August 21. All participants in the FIFA Club World Cup, including the Sounders, were granted an additional window by FIFA in early June to register new players. Teams were required to have their rosters compliant with league rules by February 21 and were unable to make changes beyond the roster freeze on September 12. Between the transfer windows, teams were allowed to sign free agents or other U.S.-based players, including those traded between MLS teams for other players, general allocation money, or various league slots.
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 were 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 was noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the Seattle Sounders FC roster.
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.
The Sounders announced their team awards, as decided through a vote of the players, at the end of the regular season. Cristian Roldan won the most valuable player award for the second time; Jackson Ragen was named defender of the year; Danny Musovski won the golden boot with 17 goals across all competitions prior to the playoffs; and Stefan Frei was named humanitarian of the year for the sixth season for his work with the Seattle Children's Hospital and the nonprofit organization Kick Childhood Cancer.