Even before the first cities in the United States were chosen to host
Major League Soccer teams, Seattle was considered a viable location for a professional team. However, despite the strong soccer fan base in Seattle, the absence of a soccer-only stadium was a drawback to establishing an MLS team. Cities seeking consideration for an inaugural MLS team were also expected to secure 10,000 assurances from fans for season tickets. These low numbers were a result of competition between the ticket campaign for the MLS expansion team and for the
American Professional Soccer League (APSL) Sounders expansion team. In a June 14, 1994, announcement, Seattle was not included among the first seven cities to be awarded an MLS team. Five more teams were to be announced later in the year, and to improve their chances this time, the city's soccer organizers began working with the
University of Washington to secure use of
Husky Stadium as an interim stadium while they pursued the construction of a permanent soccer-specific facility. In November 1994, the start of the first MLS season was postponed until 1996, and it was noted that the absence of an "adequate grass-field facility" in the area and the presence of the new APSL Seattle Sounders team had thwarted Seattle's MLS bid. In the end, Seattle was not among the cities chosen to establish a team during the first season of MLS. In 1996, as
Seattle Seahawks owner
Paul Allen worked with the city to build a new football stadium for his team, the potential of an MLS expansion team that could be a co-tenant helped drive public support for the effort. Many of the state's voters supported the referendum to construct Seahawks Stadium because it was also expected to be a professional soccer venue. While the stadium problem was being resolved, a new issue emerged. By 2000, MLS was moving away from league-operated teams to investor-operated teams, so wealthy individuals would need to step forward for Seattle to obtain an MLS expansion team. In 2004, MLS commissioner
Don Garber indicated that Seattle had been "very close" to receiving the expansion team ultimately awarded to
Salt Lake.
Adrian Hanauer, then-owner of the United Soccer League's (USL) Sounders (formerly the APSL Sounders), was in discussions with MLS about an estimated payment of $1 million to secure rights to a Seattle franchise for 2006. However, when Seattle was passed over again in 2006, Hanauer announced that he would not be able to secure an expansion team without the help of more investors willing to cover the increasing MLS franchise fees which had grown beyond $10 million.
Expansion and inaugural season In 2007, Hanauer teamed up with Hollywood producer
Joe Roth to make another bid for MLS expansion into Seattle, at a cost of $30 million. Paul Allen, whose First and Goal company operated Qwest Field (now
Lumen Field), joined the ownership group that same year, making the bid the most promising yet for Seattle. The group competed with two rival bids for the rights to an MLS team in Seattle that had been launched by California-based investors. In a press conference at the
Columbia Center on November 13, 2007, it announced that Seattle had been awarded an MLS expansion team that would be owned by Hanauer, Roth, Allen, and TV personality
Drew Carey. The announcement marked the return of
top-level soccer to Seattle for the first time since the dissolution of its
North American Soccer League (NASL) team in 1983. The announcement also meant that the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division would play its final season the year before the new MLS franchise was formed. "Seattle Sounders FC" was announced as the team name on April 7, 2008, along with the team logo, colors and badge design, in a presentation held at the
Space Needle. All 22,000 season ticket packages offered by the club for its inaugural season were sold, giving them the most season ticket holders in MLS.
Sigi Schmid was introduced as the club's first head coach on December 16, 2008, after leaving the
Columbus Crew following their
MLS Cup victory. Seattle Sounders FC entered MLS as the league's 15th team and played its first home match on March 19, 2009, in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,523, defeating the
New York Red Bulls 3–0. During the pre-match ceremonies, the first
Golden Scarf was awarded to MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Seattle was the first MLS expansion team to win its first three matches, and they did so with a
shutout in each. The club set a state record for attendance at a soccer match on August 5, 2009, when 66,848 attended a
friendly match with
FC Barcelona, a record which was later broken when they hosted
Manchester United in front of 67,052 fans, and later in the 2019 MLS Cup against
Toronto FC with 69,274 in attendance before being once again broken in the
2025 Leagues Cup final against
Inter Miami CF with an attendance of 69,314. On September 2, 2009, the Sounders became the second MLS expansion team in league history (
Chicago was the first) to win the
U.S. Open Cup tournament in its first season. They did so by defeating
D.C. United 2–1 on the road at
RFK Stadium. In winning the U.S. Open Cup tournament, they qualified for the preliminary round of the
2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League. Seattle finished the regular season with a record of 12 wins, 7 losses, and 11 draws. The club set a new MLS record for average attendance with 30,943 fans per match. Its inaugural season came to an end in the
2009 MLS Cup Playoffs with a loss in the conference semifinals to the
Houston Dynamo by a 1–0 aggregate score in a
two-legged series. During the 2009 season, all 15 Sounders MLS regular season home matches, its home playoff match, and its four home U.S. Open Cup matches (played at the
Starfire Sports Complex) were sold out.
Early years (2010–2013) Before the first match of the Sounders'
second season, the club increased the number of season ticket holders to 32,000. The first match of the season was played at Qwest Field, with Seattle hosting a new MLS expansion team, the
Philadelphia Union. The Sounders won 2–0 on goals from Brad Evans and Fredy Montero. However, Seattle followed the win by losing 8 of its next 14 matches. In the latter half of the regular season, Seattle reversed its fortune. The team won 10 of its last 15 matches, and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive year with a 2–1 win on October 10, 2010, at Kansas City. They finished the season with 14 wins, 10 losses, and 6 ties. In the playoffs, the Sounders were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the
Los Angeles Galaxy on a 3–1 aggregate score. The club broke its own single-season attendance record, averaging 36,173 fans per match, and again sold out every league match. The Sounders also competed in two additional competitions during the 2010 season – the CONCACAF Champions League and the U.S. Open Cup. In the Champions League, Seattle progressed through the preliminary round, beating
Isidro Metapán 2–1 on aggregate, but was eliminated in the group stage. In the U.S. Open Cup, Seattle won matches at Portland and at home against the Los Angeles Galaxy and
Chivas USA before reaching the final, which they hosted at Qwest Field against the
Columbus Crew. On October 5, 2010, Seattle won the
U.S. Open Cup final, 2–1, becoming the first team since 1983 to repeat as U.S. Open Cup champions. The final was played in front of a U.S. Open Cup record crowd of 31,311, and the victory ensured Seattle's return to the
Champions League in 2011. The Sounders began the
2011 season by hosting the opening match of the MLS season for the third straight year, losing 1–0 to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The season also saw the entrance of the
Portland Timbers and
Vancouver Whitecaps FC into MLS, allowing for the revival of the
Cascadia Cup; the Sounders won the cup with an unbeaten record against both clubs. On April 22, 2011, in a match against the
Colorado Rapids, Seattle's star midfielder
Steve Zakuani suffered a broken leg in a challenge by the Rapids'
Brian Mullan, which ended his season. Despite setbacks and a slow start to the season (the club won just 3 of its first 10 matches), the Sounders went on to finish the season with the second-best record in the league at 18 wins, 9 draws, 7 losses, and qualified for the playoffs for a third consecutive year. On October 4, 2011, Seattle won its
third consecutive U.S. Open Cup, becoming the first club to do so in 42 years, as they defeated the Chicago Fire 2–0 in front of another tournament record crowd of 35,615 at CenturyLink Field. In the
MLS playoffs, Seattle lost its Western Conference semifinal series 3–2 on aggregate to
Real Salt Lake. The club lost the first leg 3–0 in Salt Lake, and could only net two goals in the second leg at home. Sounders midfielder
Mauro Rosales was recognized by the league as the 2011 Newcomer of the Year. In 2011, Seattle again broke its own league record for average attendance at 38,496. On October 15, 2011, the club hosted the third-largest crowd ever for a single MLS match, as 64,140 people attended the final regular season home match against the San Jose Earthquakes, billed as a sendoff for goalkeeper Kasey Keller. In the
2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, Seattle became only the second MLS team in history to win a competitive match in Mexico, defeating
C.F. Monterrey 1–0 on August 23, 2011. The club finished second in its group and advanced to the quarterfinals, losing 7–3 on aggregate to eventual runners-up
Santos Laguna after taking a 2–1 lead at home and losing 6–1 in Mexico. Seattle opened the
2012 season with a run of five straight wins in April and May, but fell into a month-long, nine-match winless streak in June. The winless streak ended in a match on July 7, which saw the return of Steve Zakuani from rehabilitation, against the Colorado Rapids. Seattle reached the
U.S. Open Cup Final for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first team to do so since 1937, but lost to
Sporting Kansas City in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. In Champions League group play, the team advanced to the knockout round with four straight wins, each including a goal from
Sammy Ochoa. The Sounders finished third in the Western Conference and qualified for the playoffs, where they advanced out of the first round for the first time in the team's history. In the Conference Championship, Seattle fell 3–0 to Los Angeles in the first leg and came within one goal of tying the series on aggregate, winning the second leg 2–1 but losing 4–2 on aggregate after conceding an
away goal. The 2012 season ended without a major trophy for the Sounders, for the first time in their MLS history, and the team failed to qualify for the
2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League. The top scorer in league play was 28-year-old striker
Eddie Johnson, who scored 14 goals in his first season with the club; he earned
Comeback Player of the Year honors for his performance, which came after an unsuccessful stint with multiple European clubs. During the 2013 preseason, the Sounders signed their first
homegrown player, right back
DeAndre Yedlin, veteran defender
Djimi Traoré, and forward
Obafemi Martins, who paid his
release clause to his Spanish club. Longtime forward Fredy Montero left Seattle on loan to Colombian club
Millonarios F.C. in January and, by July, was loaned to
Sporting CP in Portugal with an option to buy; Montero was sold permanently to Sporting in 2014. The Sounders began the
2013 season with the
knockout round of the 2012–13 Champions League, facing Mexican club
Tigres UANL in the quarterfinals. After losing 1–0 in the away leg and conceding an
away goal in the return leg, the Sounders scored three unanswered goals in the second half to win 3–1 and advance to the semifinals. With the win, the Sounders became the first MLS team to eliminate a Mexican team in the knockout stage of CONCACAF Champions League. Seattle once again played Santos Laguna in the semifinal, but failed to advance after losing 1–0 at home and drawing 1–1 in
Torreón. The Sounders continued their five-year streak of setting a new MLS average attendance record, reaching 44,038 in 2013. The Sounders began the MLS season with a run of five matches without a win, the worst start in the team's history, due to injuries to key players. The Sounders failed to advance in the U.S. Open Cup after losing to second-division
Tampa Bay Rowdies in the third round, marking the end of the team's seven-year streak of appearances in the later rounds. As players returned to the team, Seattle improved to a six-win, four-loss record in 14 matches by late June. In August 2013, the Sounders completed the signing of
U.S. national team captain
Clint Dempsey from
Tottenham Hotspur for $9 million, the largest transfer deal in the league's history, and a record salary of $32 million over four years. The team's continued run of wins put them into Supporters' Shield contention in September, coming within one point of the league-leading Red Bulls, but fell to fourth place in the conference after a run of four straight losses in October. The Sounders beat the Colorado Rapids 2–0 in the knockout round, and drew rivals Portland in the conference semifinal. Seattle fell 2–1 to the Timbers in the home leg and were defeated 3–2 in Portland, knocking the Sounders out in a performance that failed to live up to expectations. The Sounders continued to break the MLS average attendance record for the fourth and fifth consecutive year in 2012 and 2013, with an average of 43,144 and 44,038, respectively. The higher attendances were helped by the opening of additional sections in the Hawks' Nest, as well as the opening of the upper deck of CenturyLink Field for select regular matches. The August 25, 2013, home match against the Portland Timbers drew a crowd of 67,385, the second-largest standalone attendance in league history.
Dempsey/Martins years and first Supporters' Shield (2014–2015) After a disappointing 2013 season, the Sounders replaced starting goalkeeper Michael Gspurning with Toronto's
Stefan Frei. Several veteran players, including Eddie Johnson, Patrick Ianni, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Mauro Rosales, and Steve Zakuani, left the club as part of a major restructure;
Brad Evans was named as club captain.
Marco Pappa, an experienced MLS player and Guatemalan international, was added to the team. Homegrown player
DeAndre Yedlin was transferred to
Tottenham Hotspur but was loaned back to Seattle until the end of the MLS season. The Sounders advanced to the
2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final and defeated the
Philadelphia Union in
extra time, to win their fourth trophy of the tournament. On October 25, 2014, the final game of the 2014 regular season, the Sounders defeated the LA Galaxy 2–0 to secure and win their first
Supporters' Shield. dribbling between two L.A. Galaxy defenders, 2014 Entering the playoffs as the top seed, Seattle defeated FC Dallas on the
away goals rule and advanced to the Western Conference Championship to face the LA Galaxy once again. The Sounders tied the Galaxy on
aggregate score but lost on the away goals rule after losing 1–0 away and winning 2–1 at home. LA would go on to win the MLS Cup. Former
Real Salt Lake general manager
Garth Lagerwey was hired by the club in January 2015, replacing Adrian Hanauer. Seattle was unable to repeat their successes in the 2014 season. The season started with several key wins that saw the team at the top of the Western Conference by June. During a
2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers on June 16, however, Obafemi Martins left the game with a groin injury and Clint Dempsey was suspended after tearing a referee's pocketbook, though he would be called away for the
2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The injury and suspension of the team's main attacking duo led to poor performances over the summer, with Seattle winning only one match in nine games. By late August, Martins had recovered and led the team to an eight-match unbeaten streak to secure a playoff spot, finishing fourth in the Western Conference. The Sounders had also successfully topped their group in the
2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps and
Club Deportivo Olimpia, with two wins, one draw, and one loss.
Paraguayan international
Nelson Haedo Valdez was signed as the club's newest
Designated Player, and was joined by fellow international signings
Andreas Ivanschitz and
Román Torres in August 2015;
Erik Friberg also returned to the club after his stint in Europe. During the playoff's opening knockout round, the Sounders defeated the LA Galaxy 3–2, ending a "curse" for the club, who had lost to LA in each of the three previous playoff matchups. The playoff run would end in the next round, the Western Conference semifinals against FC Dallas, during a
penalty shootout after both teams were tied on
aggregate score after
extra time in
Frisco, Texas. In November 2015, Adrian Hanauer was made majority owner of the club, succeeding Joe Roth. The club set a new attendance record during the 2015 season, with an average attendance of 44,247.
Schmetzer era and first MLS Cup (2016–2018) Prior to the 2016 season, Obafemi Martins abruptly left the club to sign with
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua F.C. in the
Chinese Super League, a move that would hamper the Sounders' offense during the season. The move was mitigated somewhat by the signing of homegrown product
Jordan Morris. Lagerwey also traded
Marco Pappa and
Lamar Neagle to other clubs in the offseason. During the first half of the 2016 season, the Sounders failed to meet expectations, placing near the bottom of the league with 6 wins, 12 losses, and 2 draws. Following a 3–0 loss on July 24 to Sporting Kansas City, in which the Sounders had only one shot, Schmid left the club on mutual terms and was replaced by long-time assistant coach
Brian Schmetzer. The same day, the club announced their signing of Uruguayan midfielder
Nicolás Lodeiro on a designated player contract, as well as the return of former designated player
Álvaro Fernández. Despite the sluggish start as well as the loss of midfielder
Clint Dempsey, who was forced in August to stop playing after evaluations for an irregular heartbeat, the Sounders rose from ninth place to fourth place in the Western Conference and qualified for the
2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, with eight wins, two losses, and four draws. Schmetzer was named as permanent head coach as a result. At the end of the regular season, Jordan Morris was named the
MLS Rookie of the Year after scoring the most goals of any American rookie in MLS (12), and Nicolás Lodeiro was named
MLS Newcomer of the Year for his 4 goals and 8 assists in 13 appearances. The Sounders advanced from the Knockout Round of the playoffs through a 1–0 win over
Sporting Kansas City, and beat
FC Dallas 4–2 on aggregate to return to the Conference Final. The Sounders then defeated the
Colorado Rapids 3–1 on aggregate in the final, clinching a spot in their first-ever MLS Cup. On December 10, 2016, the Sounders defeated
Toronto FC 5–4 in a
penalty shootout, to win
MLS Cup 2016, their first MLS championship in franchise history, going the whole match without a shot on goal. The team's performance was called a "
cinderella season" and hailed as one of the most dramatic MLS seasons to date. The Sounders began their title defense with the signings of two academy graduates and several veteran players from MLS and abroad. Dempsey also returned from his hiatus and scored in his first match before being called up to the U.S. national team for World Cup qualification. The season began with only five wins in the first 17 matches, but was followed by a 13-match unbeaten streak and additional wins to clinch a second-place spot in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Sounders beat the Vancouver Whitecaps and Houston Dynamo to win the Western Conference and return to the
MLS Cup, once again facing Toronto at BMO Field. Seattle lost 2–0 to Toronto, who clinched the first domestic
treble in MLS history. Seattle began the 2018 season with a run to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, where they lost 3–1 on aggregate to eventual champions
C.D. Guadalajara. During the Round of 16, Jordan Morris injured his
ACL and was deemed unfit to play for the rest of the season. Without Morris and several injured starting players, the Sounders lost nine of their first 15 matches and were placed bottom of the Western Conference by June. The club signed a new Designated Player, Peruvian forward
Raúl Ruidíaz, that month and began a long unbeaten streak that resulted in a playoff position in late August. On September 1, the club broke the MLS record for most consecutive wins in the post-shootout era, having won eight consecutive matches. They then extended that win streak to nine games as they beat Vancouver 2–1 on September 15, before eventually losing to the Philadelphia Union on September 19. The Sounders finished second in the Western Conference with 18 wins, 11 losses, and 5 draws. With 14 wins in the final 16 matches of the season, the Sounders completed the best half season in league history. Minority owner Paul Allen died from complications related to
non-Hodgkin lymphoma on October 15, 2018, leaving his stake in the Sounders to an estate executed by his sister
Jody Allen. Seattle then faced the Portland Timbers in the Conference Semifinals, losing the away leg 2–1 and winning the home leg 3–2 to tie the series on aggregate after extra time. In the ensuing penalty shootout, Portland won 4–2; the home leg is considered to be one of the best playoff matches in league history due to its dramatic finish.
Second MLS Cup title and pandemic (2019–2021) The 2019 season began with the loss of team captain and inaugural season player
Osvaldo Alonso, who was released into free agency and signed with
Minnesota United FC before the season began. Defender
Chad Marshall, who had joined in 2014, announced his retirement from professional soccer on May 22, leaving unexpectedly mid-way through the season. Despite the loss of these two players, in addition to the suspension of
Román Torres for ten matches for testing positive for a
performance-enhancing substance in August, the Sounders finished 2nd in the Western Conference and 4th in the overall league table. They qualified for a berth in the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League and earned a record 11th appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs, which would use single-elimination matches for the first time in league history. The Sounders defeated FC Dallas 4–3 in the first round with a hat-trick from Jordan Morris, who had been named MLS Comeback Player of the Year following his return from an ACL tear. The team then won against Real Salt Lake at home and traveled away to play in the Conference Finals against Supporters' Shield winners Los Angeles FC, where they won 3–1. Seattle hosted the
MLS Cup final against Toronto FC, playing them for the third time in four years, and won 3–1 to clinch their second championship. The match drew an attendance of 69,274, setting records for the team and any sporting event at CenturyLink Field. Seattle opened the 2020 season with the
CONCACAF Champions League, where they lost in the round of 16 to
C.D. Olimpia in a
penalty shootout after a 4–4 aggregate draw. The Sounders played two regular season matches at home before MLS suspended all activities on March 12, 2020, due to the worsening
COVID-19 pandemic, which had been affecting the Seattle area for several weeks. The league returned in the
MLS is Back Tournament, played in the
Orlando area, and the Sounders earned a 1–1–1 record in group play. They advanced to the round of 16, where they lost 4–1 to Los Angeles FC. The team then resumed hosting matches with
no spectators at CenturyLink Field (renamed Lumen Field near the end of the season) and primarily played against West Coast teams due to limited travel. The Sounders cancelled an away match against the LA Galaxy in August to join a
multi-sport boycott to protest racial injustice. They later set a franchise record for largest margin of victory with a 7–1 home win against the San Jose Earthquakes on September 10. The team clinched their 12th consecutive playoff berth and finished second in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Sounders defeated Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas to host Minnesota United FC in the Western Conference Final. Minnesota took a 2–0 lead in the second half, but Seattle responded with three goals in the final 18 minutes to complete a comeback victory and secure a fourth MLS Cup appearance in five years. The Sounders faced the Columbus Crew in the
2020 MLS Cup final and lost 3–0 in front of 1,500 spectators at
Mapfre Stadium on December 12—the latest calendar date to host a league match. Seattle opened the 2021 season with a 13-match unbeaten streak, setting a new MLS record in the process, despite missing Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, Stefan Frei, and Raul Ruidiaz to long-term injuries. Manager Brian Schmetzer switched to a 3–5–2 formation that led to only eight conceded goals during the streak. The Sounders retained the Cascadia Cup with a 2–1–1 record, including a 6–2 away victory over the Portland Timbers. The team also won twice against Mexican clubs UANL and Santos Laguna in the
2021 Leagues Cup and advanced to the final, where they lost 3–2 to
Club León in
Las Vegas. Seattle maintained their first-place position in the Western Conference despite several losses in the summer, but fell into a winless streak over the final six matches of the season to finish second in the West. They qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by Real Salt Lake in a penalty shootout.
Champions League title and first Club World Cup (2022–2024) during their
2023 Leagues Cup match The team qualified for the
2022 CONCACAF Champions League as the best-performing MLS club without their own berth, replacing the slot reserved for the cancelled U.S. Open Cup. In the round of 16, the Sounders were held to a scoreless draw to
F.C. Motagua in Honduras but defeated them 5–0 in the second leg at home. Seattle then faced Club León in a rematch of the Leagues Cup Final, winning 3–0 at home in the first leg and drawing 1–1 in the second leg to advance to the semifinals. The team played
MLS Cup 2021 champions
New York City FC in the semifinals, winning 3–1 at home in the first leg and drawing 1–1 in the second leg to advance 4–2 on aggregate. The Sounders advanced to their first
Champions League final and faced Mexican club
UNAM, who hosted the first leg. The two teams drew 2–2 and returned to Seattle, where the Sounders won 3–0 in front of 68,741, setting a competition attendance record. The Sounders became the first MLS club to win the CONCACAF Champions League with their 5–2 aggregate victory. As CONCACAF champions, Seattle became the first MLS club to participate in the
FIFA Club World Cup. The Sounders entered the U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 and drew 2–2 with the
San Jose Earthquakes. The ensuing penalty shootout took 11 rounds and was won 10–9 by San Jose. The club resumed league play, where they had fallen to 13th place in the Western Conference, and used rotated lineups to balance a congested schedule; by early July, they had improved to fourth in the West. Further injuries and players missing due to national team call-ups and suspensions caused the team to lose most of their matches over the following two months. With a loss to Sporting Kansas City on the penultimate matchday of the season, the Sounders were eliminated from playoff contention. This marked the first time the club had failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs and ended a 13-year streak—the longest active streak in MLS and second-longest in major North American sports. On November 22, 2022, Lagerwey departed the club after a seven-year tenure to assume the role of President and CEO at
Atlanta United FC. The Sounders announced their appointment of
Craig Waibel as the club's new general manager and Chief Soccer Officer on November 30. He had been hired by the club in 2021 to serve as sporting director. The team began their 2023 preseason in Seattle before a training camp in
Marbella, Spain, to prepare for the
2022 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco. The Sounders entered in the second round against Egypt's
Al Ahly, the runners-up in the
2021–22 CAF Champions League, and lost 1–0 to a late goal. The club also qualified for the
expanded 2025 edition of the tournament due to their 2022 CONCACAF Champions League title. The team finished second in the Western Conference during the
2023 regular season, behind expansion team
St. Louis City SC, and returned to the MLS Cup Playoffs on a nine-match unbeaten streak. They were eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by
Los Angeles FC at home, their first playoff loss in Seattle since 2013. The Sounders debuted a new logo in September 2023 as part of the club's 50th anniversary celebrations the following year. A new training facility and team headquarters, the Sounders FC Center at
Longacres in
Renton, opened at the start of the
2024 season to replace the Starfire Sports Complex. The club signed Argentinian winger
Pedro de la Vega to a four-year Designated Player contract in January 2024. Ruidíaz became the top goalscorer in the team's MLS history on March 23, 2024, surpassing the 79-goal record set by
Fredy Montero. Outside of league play, the Sounders were eliminated in the
U.S. Open Cup semifinals and
Leagues Cup quarterfinals in the same month, both in losses to Los Angeles FC. The team qualified for the playoffs and defeated Los Angeles FC, who were the top seed in the Western Conference, but were eliminated in the Western Conference Final by the LA Galaxy.
Second Club World Cup appearance and Leagues Cup title (2025–present) The team made their
eighth appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (renamed from the Champions League) to begin the
2025 season. They had qualified based on their performance during the 2024 regular season, as other teams had used different pathways to reach the competition. The Sounders defeated
Antigua of Guatemala and advanced to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Mexican club
Cruz Azul. The second leg in Mexico City was marred by a season-ending injury to
Paul Arriola, who had joined the Sounders during the offseason alongside former
FC Dallas teammate
Jesús Ferreira. The 4–1 loss also marked the end of a thirteen-match unbeaten streak in CONCACAF competition, which was a record for an MLS club. match between the Sounders and
Atlético Madrid The Sounders hosted its three
group stage matches during the
2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lumen Field, where a temporary grass surface was installed over the turf for the tournament. The team opened the tournament against
Botafogo, the reigning
Copa Libertadores champion from Brazil, and lost 2–1 after they had attempted a late comeback.
Cristian Roldan scored the first goal by an American team in the tournament's history. Spanish side
Atlético Madrid then defeated the Sounders 3–1 in front of 51,636 spectators at Lumen Field, with the lone goal from the home team scored by
Albert Rusnák. The team were eliminated from the competition in a 0–2 loss to
Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning
UEFA Champions League winner, and finished at the bottom of their group. The Sounders received praise from their opponents for their performance in the Club World Cup, but were unable to capitalize on scoring chances during the three matches. trophy The team returned to MLS play and were unbeaten in six league matches. The Sounders opened the
2025 Leagues Cup with a 7–0 win against Cruz Azul, the reigning CONCACAF Champions Cup winners, by scoring seven goals in the second half. The match set a record for the largest margin of victory in the club's modern era as well as for any MLS team against Liga MX opposition. The Sounders would win the Leagues Cup, defeating
Lionel Messi and
Inter Miami 3–0 in the
final at Lumen Field in front of a crowd of 69,314. The three goals in the match were scored by
Osaze De Rosario,
Alex Roldan, and
Paul Rothrock. This title would also be a milestone for the club, as they became the first United States based soccer club to win all continental and domestic trophies available. ==Club colors and crest==