RENTON, WASH. – Sounders FC today announced today announced the launch of the 2026 Sounders Ballot, providing eligible Alliance Members the opportunity to directly shape the club through a series of votes rooted in Sounders FC’s longstanding commitment to Democracy in Sports. Headlining this year’s ballot is the General Manager Vote, giving Alliance Members the opportunity to vote either yes or no in regard to the retention of General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. The ballot also includes proposed changes to the Alliance Council Constitution and voting for the next class of the Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends.
The voting window for the 2026 Sounders Ballot begins today, October 12, and runs through November 7. Alliance Members can vote digitally via a Sounders FC-provided digital ballot or in person at the club’s three remaining home matches: October 17 vs. CF Montréal, October 28 vs. Houston Dynamo and November 7 vs. LAFC. Results of the of the 2026 Sounders Ballot are scheduled to be announced following the conclusion of Sounders FC’s 2026 campaign.
“Democracy in Sports has been a cornerstone of our club since we joined Major League Soccer, and the Sounders Ballot is an important opportunity to put that commitment into action,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer. “We’ve always believed that our supporters should have a meaningful voice in the direction of this organization, and the General Manager Vote is one of the most powerful examples of that philosophy. This process is about accountability, transparency and giving our Alliance Members a direct role in shaping the future of their club. We encourage every eligible member to participate and make their voice heard.”
Championed by Sounders FC Owner Drew Carey as a condition of joining the club’s ownership group in 2008, Democracy in Sports was founded on the belief that supporters should have a real and tangible voice in the direction of their club. That principle led to the creation of the Alliance and Alliance Council, with the right to decide on the retention of the club’s general manager among the Alliance’s most consequential powers.
GENERAL MANAGER VOTE
The 2026 General Manager Vote marks the fourth such vote in Sounders FC history and the first involving Waibel, who was named General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer prior to the 2023 season after originally joining the club as Sporting Director in April of 2021. Every four seasons following the hiring of a new general manager, Alliance Members have the right to vote on whether to retain the club’s senior soccer decision-maker.
Eligible Alliance Members can cast a vote of confidence or no confidence in Waibel. At least 40 percent of eligible Alliance Members must participate for the vote to be considered valid, with a supermajority of at least 67 percent voting in favor of dismissal required for the general manager not to be retained.
Sounders FC held the first General Manager Vote in U.S. professional sports in 2012, when Owner and then-General Manager Adrian Hanauer received a 96.3-percent vote of approval from 13,775 participating Alliance Members. Garth Lagerwey faced the next two GM Votes, receiving an 87.3-percent vote of approval in 2018 and 90 percent in 2022. Participation in those two votes reached 37.2 percent and 31.4 percent, respectively, falling short of the 40-percent threshold required for an official vote.
ABOUT CRAIG WAIBEL
Waibel has overseen Sounders FC’s soccer operations since taking over as General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer prior to the 2023 campaign. Under his leadership, Seattle is 78-53-44 across all competitions, including a 56-36-38 MLS regular-season record, qualifying for the postseason each year and advancing to the 2024 Western Conference Final. The club captured the Leagues Cup 2025 title, with Sounders FC becoming the first team to win all five major North American trophies, while also reaching the Semifinals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and competing in consecutive Concacaf Champions Cups, advancing to the Quarterfinals in 2026. He is the only General Manager in MLS history to oversee a team that competed in two FIFA Club World Cups. Waibel previously served as Sporting Director from 2021-2022, helping build the roster that became the first MLS side to win the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2022.
Waibel has also helped shape the club’s player development pathway since joining Seattle as Sporting Director. During his tenure as General Manager, 15 players have signed First Team contracts from the Sounders FC Academy / Tacoma Defiance pathway, including nine Academy products. The club has developed First Team contributors including Jackson Ragen, Paul Rothrock, Snyder Brunell and Stuart Hawkins, transferred Homegrown Players Obed Vargas (Atlético Madrid) and Danny Leyva (Club Necaxa) abroad and earned up to $4.7 million in General Allocation Money through in-league transactions involving Josh Atencio, Reed Baker-Whiting and Georgi Minoungou. Sounders FC Academy squads have continued their tradition of success under Waibel, with both the U-15s and U-16s making the final four of the 2026 Generation adidas Cup, the only academy to have two teams advance to semifinals or further.
Waibel’s tenure has also included a number of impactful acquisitions, utilizing MLS roster mechanisms to bring proven talent to Seattle at significant value. Most notably, he brokered a $6 million in-league deal for Dejan Joveljić, one of MLS’ premier goalscorers, after restructuring Albert Rusnák’s contract to open a Designated Player roster slot. Waibel also signed Young Designated Player Pedro de la Vega, who earned Player of the Tournament honors during Seattle’s Leagues Cup 2025 championship run, and free agent forward Danny Musovski, who led the Rave Green with 18 goals across all competitions in 2025. Prior to the 2025 season, he acquired FC Dallas standouts Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola through favorable in-league deals, including signing Ferreira, previously a Designated Player, to a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) contract. As Sporting Director, he was instrumental in the signing of Rusnák, who leads the club with 95 goal contributions in all competitions since coming to Seattle.
PROPOSED CHANGEDS TO ALLIANCE COUNCIL CONSTITUTION
Alliance Members are also being asked to ratify proposed changes to the Alliance Council Constitution. Approved by Alliance Council before being submitted to the general membership, the proposed updates align Council elections, meetings and events with the club’s new season calendar. Full details on these proposed changes can be found HERE.
The Alliance Constitution establishes the goals of the organization and defines the roles and responsibilities of Alliance Council, providing a framework for the Sounders community to have a voice in matters affecting the club. Under the Constitution, amendments require approval from at least two-thirds of all legal votes cast by Alliance Council before being submitted to Alliance Members, where a two-thirds majority of legal votes cast is required for ratification.
ETERNAL SOUNDERS CIRCLE OF LEGENDS
The 2026 Sounders Ballot also gives Alliance Members a voice in selecting the next class of the Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends, the club’s exclusive honor recognizing the greatest players, coaches and builders in Sounders history. Announced on Friday, this year’s finalists are:
- Osvaldo Alonso (Player) – A cornerstone of Sounders FC’s inaugural 2009 MLS squad, Alonso spent 10 seasons in Seattle, establishing himself as one of the league’s premier defensive midfielders while helping lead the club to six major trophies, including the 2016 MLS Cup.
- Mike England (Player) – A four-time NASL All-Star and one of the original Sounders’ most dominant defenders, England helped lead Seattle to the 1977 Pacific Conference title and an appearance in Soccer Bowl ’77 against Pelé’s New York Cosmos.
- Gary Wright (Builder) – A longtime Seattle sports executive, Wright played an instrumental role in Sounders FC’s historic 2009 MLS launch, helping establish the club as an industry leader in attendance, fan engagement and organizational excellence.
- Pepe Fernandez (Builder) – A member of the original 1974 Sounders squad, Fernandez was a beloved player and community ambassador whose decades of youth development, coaching and grassroots outreach helped establish soccer’s roots throughout Washington.
Alliance Members comprise 25 percent of the Selection Electorate, alongside other voting blocks that include Alliance Council (15 percent), Sounders alumni of all eras (20 percent), Sounders FC ownership (15 percent) and staff (10 percent), as well as Seattle soccer media (15 percent). In order to be inducted, finalists must receive at least 75 percent of the total vote from the Circle of Legends Selection Electorate.
The four finalists have a chance to join Kasey Keller (Player), Sigi Schmid (Coach) and Jimmy Gabriel (Builder), who were inducted this past July as the first individual members of the Eternal Sounders Circle of Legends. The trio joined the inaugural 1974 Sounders NASL team, which became the first entry in June of 2024 as part of the club’s 50th Anniversary celebration.
HOW TO VOTE
Eligible Alliance Members can participate in the 2026 Sounders Ballot online from October 12–November 7 at eBallot.vote/SoundersFC, with voting closing at 11:59 p.m. PT on Saturday, November 7. Alliance Members can also vote in-person at Sounders FC's three remaining home matches on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field, with voting stations available in Olympic Hall and T-Mobile End Zone from gates opening through halftime:
The primary account holder of each eligible Alliance Membership is responsible for submitting the ballot, with each seat on a Season Ticket Membership account representing one vote. For example, a primary account holder with four eligible seats submits one ballot representing four votes. For Flex Members, voting weight is determined by membership spend, with full details available via HERE.
To access the ballot, primary account holders must provide the email address associated with their Sounders FC Membership and account number, which can be found by logging into Sounders FC Account Manager. This information is also required for those voting in person at Lumen Field. Members experiencing difficulties accessing their ballot can contact CustomerService@SoundersFC.com for assistance.
Sounders FC and Alliance Council are collaboratively administering the General Manager Vote through third-party voting platform eBallot, which independently verifies the results. Following the close of voting on November 7, results are scheduled to be announced after the conclusion of Sounders FC's 2026 season and prior to the start of the 2027 sprint season.
After extending its unbeaten streak to nine games (4-0-5) over the weekend with a 3-0 win at New England, Sounders FC (11-9-8, 41 points) travels to face FC Dallas on Wednesday, October 14 at Toyota Stadium (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM). Brian Schmetzer's club then returns home to host CF Montréal on Saturday, October 17 on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
ABOUT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
Born in 1974 and a member of Major League Soccer since 2009, Seattle Sounders FC is one of North America’s leading professional soccer organizations. The club has captured nine major trophies since its inaugural MLS season, and following its Leagues Cup victory in 2025, Seattle became the first team in U.S. soccer history to win every major competition (Concacaf Champions Cup, MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup). Since the club's MLS debut, Sounders fans have set the standard for soccer support in North America, leading the league in attendance for eight-consecutive seasons (2009-2016), routinely ranking in the global top 30 among all professional clubs and never finishing outside of MLS’ top three.
