Sounders set sights on 2026 after thrilling 2025 campaign

2025 was a special year for the Seattle Sounders. From hosting and competing in FIFA Club World Cup 2025TM at Lumen Field, to securing their first-ever Leagues Cup title, this year was anything but lackluster. 

And now, as the club looks ahead to 2026, there are plenty of exciting moments to come as the team gears up for another jam-packed year of thrilling matchups and memorable events set to take place in their very own back yard. 

“I see a bright future,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.

The Sounders kick off the new year in style as the team returns to Europe for their 2026 preseason. From there, a plethora of new faces will make their way to the training grounds, alongside a strong veteran squad from last season. 

A competitive atmosphere awaits with the additions of Inter Miami’s Ryan Sailor, Vancouver Whitecaps’ Max Anchor and Minnesota United’s Hassani Dotson joining the team with the likes of Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnák and Pedro de la Vega. 

Other exciting returns include Stefan Frei and Paul Rothrock, both of whom recently signed new contracts with the club, and Paul Arriola, who is coming back from an ACL injury that occurred in March of 2025.

With this deep roster, the expectation is to take build on the success from this and reach greater heights in 2026 as they compete for trophies across multiple competitions. 

“[General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer] Craig [Waibel] and I have already started to have a lot of conversations about making the team better and how we're going to do that going forward,” said Schmetzer. “I'm excited for preseason. I really love the progression that the players made [in 2025].”

Both Waibel and Schmetzer highlighted the influx of goals scored throughout the 2025 season. Something that was lacking in previous years. The team’s attack ignited in a big way, setting a new single-season goal contribution record of 131 (58 goals, 73 assists).

Waibel and Schmetzer were not too pressed on making massive changes in the coming year, despite being dealt a Round One exit in Minnesota. Any sort of changes would be the additions of “players that truly impact this group,” according to Waibel.

“This group that we [had in 2025] which obviously, won't be the exact same next year, but this group is capable of winning any game,” he said. “In terms of a specific piece [missing], I'm not sure there's one that would unlock [a ticket to the Western Conference Semis], because the truth is, this is the exact group of players that won a big trophy. So I think we have a lot of quality.”​

Following preseason in Europe, the team will partake in a number of competitions that include MLS regular season, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and for some players on the roster, FIFA World Cup 2026TM. 

With MLS players like Sounders’ own Cristian Roldan (USA) and Obed Vargas (Mexico) having the potential to represent their respective national teams, the league will take a seven-week break during the summer months to accommodate for the world renowned tournament being held in North America, including in Seattle. 

Along with preparing for a heavy schedule in the coming months, the team will have no trouble acclimating to the adjusted season timeline, especially knowing they share the same objective: winning trophies.

“This last year, with 50 games, and the Club World Cup being in the middle of it, next year with the World Cup break…There's a lot of schedule changing and manipulation that's been going on.” said Waibel. “So when we see these big breaks in the calendar, the challenge is, how do we as a group find a message to motivate the guys, maybe a little bit beyond where they are?” 

He continued: “Most of them are self-motivated. They're pro soccer players. I mean, let's be honest, they want to win, they don't show up to take second. So, we just have to do the little things along the way.”