Seattle Sounders FC

The original Seattle Sounders played in the NASL from 1974 to 1983. A later lower-division team continued the name and won USL First Division titles in 2005 and 2007.⁠[1]

On November 13, 2007, MLS awarded Seattle its 15th franchise for a 2009 debut. The founding owners were Joe Roth, Adrian Hanauer, Drew Carey and Paul Allen’s Vulcan Sports & Entertainment. Qwest Field was designated as its home.⁠[1]

Seattle won the U.S. Open Cup in its first MLS season and defended the title in 2010 and 2011, completing three consecutive championships.⁠[2]

On March 19, 2009, the Sounders won their MLS debut, defeating the New York Red BullsRed Bull New YorkRed Bull New York (RBNY) are a Major League Soccer club based at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. The club has competed in MLS since 1996, previously as the MetroStars, and is owned by Red Bull.Open the full entry 3–0 at Qwest Field.⁠[3][4]

In 2014, Seattle won the Supporters’ Shield and its fourth U.S. Open Cup.⁠[2]

That year, the Sounders ended their shared operating arrangement with the Seattle SeahawksSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are an NFL professional American football team in the NFC West, based at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. Awarded a franchise in 1974, they began play in 1976 and won Super Bowls XLVIII and LX under Pete Carroll and Mike Macdonald respectively. The Khosla family became the controlling owner when its acquisition closed in September 2026.Open the full entry and began operating separately.⁠[3]

At the Alliance Annual Business Meeting on November 12, 2015, Roth announced that Hanauer would succeed him as majority owner. Roth remained in the ownership group alongside Carey and Allen.⁠[5]

Brian Schmetzer became interim head coach after Sigi Schmid’s departure in July 2016. Seattle went 8–2–4 in its final 14 regular-season games, and the club made his appointment permanent on November 2.⁠[6]

On December 10, 2016, Seattle won its first MLS Cup, beating Toronto FCToronto FCToronto FC is an MLS professional soccer club in Toronto, Ontario. It began play in 2007, plays at BMO Field and won its first MLS Cup in 2017.Open the full entry 5–4 on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Goalkeeper Stefan Frei made crucial saves and was named the final’s Most Valuable Player.⁠[7]

On December 9, 2017, Seattle returned to Toronto for the MLS Cup Final and lost 2–0.⁠[8]

On August 13, 2019, the club announced an ownership change: Roth departed and investors from 11 families joined, including Russell Wilson and Ciara, Macklemore and Satya Nadella. Hanauer and Carey also increased their stakes.⁠[9]

On November 10, 2019, Seattle beat Toronto FC 3–1 at CenturyLink Field for its second MLS Cup. A crowd of 69,274 watched goals from Kelvin Leerdam, Víctor Rodríguez and Raúl Ruidíaz.⁠[10]

On November 19, 2020, the stadium announced its new name, Lumen Field. It had previously been known as Seahawks Stadium, Qwest Field and CenturyLink Field.⁠[11]

On December 12, 2020, Seattle lost the MLS Cup Final 3–0 to Columbus CrewColumbus CrewColumbus Crew is an MLS club in Columbus, Ohio, operated by Haslam Sports Group and the Edwards family. Its home is ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.Open the full entry. It was the club’s fourth final in five years, a period that produced two titles and two runner-up finishes.⁠[12]

On May 4, 2022, the Sounders beat Pumas UNAM 3–0 at Lumen Field and 5–2 on aggregate, becoming the first MLS club to win the Concacaf Champions League. Ruidíaz scored twice and Nicolás Lodeiro added a goal before 68,741 spectators.⁠[13]

On September 26, 2023, the club unveiled an updated crest and visual identity for use from 2024. The crest retained the Space Needle and added “1974,” with waves, an orca and a carnation among the supporting marks connecting it to local soccer history.⁠[14]

On February 13, 2024, the Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse opened at Longacres in Renton. It brought the first team, Tacoma Defiance, academy and business operations onto one campus with four full-size training pitches and offices.⁠[15]

In June 2025, Seattle played in the FIFA Club World Cup but was eliminated in the group stage after losses to Botafogo, Atlético Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.⁠[16]

On August 31, 2025, Seattle beat Inter Miami 3–0 at Lumen Field for its first Leagues Cup. It became the first club to win MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup, Supporters’ Shield, the Concacaf club championship and Leagues Cup.⁠[2]

On March 18, 2026, Seattle hosted its Champions Cup round-of-16 second leg at ONE Spokane Stadium while Lumen Field underwent World Cup preparations. A 2–1 win over Vancouver completed a 5–2 aggregate victory in the club’s first match in Eastern Washington.⁠[17]

On April 15, 2026, Seattle returned to Lumen Field and beat Tigres UANL 3–1, but was eliminated on away goals with the aggregate score tied at 3–3.⁠[18]

On August 25, 2026, the Sounders acquired Designated Player Dejan Joveljić from Sporting Kansas CitySporting Kansas CitySporting Kansas City is an MLS professional soccer club with its regular home in Kansas City, Kansas.Open the full entry in a $6 million cash trade. His contract runs through June 2030, with a one-year club option.⁠[19]

In an August 26, 2026 open letter, Hanauer acknowledged eight consecutive MLS losses over six weeks and supporter criticism of results and weakened connections. He outlined plans for more player-member meetings and reminded members of the general-manager retention vote scheduled for October and November.⁠[20]

On September 26, 2026, Seattle beat Minnesota 3–1 at home to extend its unbeaten run to seven matches. Schmetzer became the ninth coach in MLS history to reach 150 regular-season victories.⁠[21]

Seattle Sounders FC: Official website: https://www.soundersfc.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[22]