Seattle Sounders
The money at Seattle Sounders: what it pays its players, what it is worth and who owns it, and what it is paid. The club's games, rosters and history are at soccerstats.us.
Pay
Payroll by season
| season | players | total pay | highest paid | pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 28 | $19,092,219 | Albert Rusnak | $2,685,000 |
| 2025 | 30 | $18,247,851 | Albert Rusnak | $2,575,000 |
| 2024 | 28 | $16,680,315 | Raul Ruidiaz | $2,729,120 |
| 2023 | 29 | $19,185,352 | Nicolás Lodeiro | $3,256,667 |
| 2022 | 28 | $16,983,746 | Nicolás Lodeiro | $3,256,667 |
| 2021 | 30 | $13,588,370 | Nicolás Lodeiro | $2,736,667 |
| 2020 | 29 | $13,591,129 | Nicolás Lodeiro | $2,622,500 |
| 2019 | 28 | $13,678,414 | Nicolás Lodeiro | $2,502,500 |
| 2018 | 27 | $11,777,648 | Nicolás Lodeiro | $2,302,500 |
| 2017 | 27 | $11,820,249 | Clint Dempsey | $3,892,934 |
| 2016 | 30 | $12,445,315 | Clint Dempsey | $4,605,942 |
| 2015 | 32 | $13,288,443 | Clint Dempsey | $4,605,942 |
| 2014 | 30 | $11,504,761 | Clint Dempsey | $6,695,189 |
| 2013 | 29 | $10,482,954 | Clint Dempsey | $5,038,566 |
| 2012 | 32 | $4,224,311 | Fredy Montero | $756,000 |
| 2011 | 31 | $3,400,133 | Fredy Montero | $656,000 |
| 2010 | 27 | $3,118,104 | Blaise N'Kufo | $480,000 |
| 2009 | 26 | $3,407,212 | Freddie Ljungberg | $1,314,000 |
| 2008 | 2 | $129,000 | Sebastian Le Toux | $96,000 |
Pay is guaranteed compensation where the source gives it and base salary where it does not. Total pay sums it across every player on record that season.
Against the salary budget
| season | payroll | salary budget | over the budget | times the budget | above the maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $19,092,219 | $6,425,000 | $12,667,219 | 3.0× | 9 |
| 2025 | $18,247,851 | $5,950,000 | $12,297,851 | 3.1× | 8 |
| 2024 | $16,680,315 | $5,470,000 | $11,210,315 | 3.0× | 7 |
| 2023 | $19,185,352 | $5,210,000 | $13,975,352 | 3.7× | 9 |
| 2022 | $16,983,746 | $4,900,000 | $12,083,746 | 3.5× | 8 |
| 2021 | $13,588,370 | $4,900,000 | $8,688,370 | 2.8× | 6 |
| 2020 | $13,591,129 | $4,900,000 | $8,691,129 | 2.8× | 6 |
| 2019 | $13,678,414 | $4,240,000 | $9,438,414 | 3.2× | 11 |
| 2018 | $11,777,648 | $4,035,000 | $7,742,648 | 2.9× | 8 |
| 2017 | $11,820,249 | $3,845,000 | $7,975,249 | 3.1× | 5 |
| 2016 | $12,445,315 | $3,660,000 | $8,785,315 | 3.4× | 5 |
| 2015 | $13,288,443 | $3,490,000 | $9,798,443 | 3.8× | 5 |
| 2014 | $11,504,761 | $3,100,000 | $8,404,761 | 3.7× | 3 |
| 2013 | $10,482,954 | $2,950,000 | $7,532,954 | 3.6× | 3 |
| 2012 | $4,224,311 | $2,810,000 | $1,414,311 | 1.5× | 2 |
| 2011 | $3,400,133 | $2,675,000 | $725,133 | 1.3× | 2 |
| 2010 | $3,118,104 | $2,550,000 | $568,104 | 1.2× | 1 |
Payroll is every player's guaranteed pay; the salary budget is the cap from that season's rules. Above the maximum counts the players paid more than the maximum budget charge: its Designated Players and those bought down with allocation money.
Transfers
| season | player | from | to | move | fee | up to | kind | reported | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Dejan Joveljic | Sporting Kansas City | Seattle Sounders | within MLS | $6M | — | cash | 1 | |
| 2026 | Obed Vargas | Seattle Sounders | Atlético Madrid | out | $3.5M | — | cash | 1 | |
| 2026 | Georgi Minoungou | Seattle Sounders | Colorado Rapids | within MLS | $2M | — | allocation money | 1 | |
| 2025 | Josh Atencio | Seattle Sounders | Colorado Rapids | within MLS | — | $1.6M | allocation money | 1 | |
| 2025 | Jesus Ferreira | FC Dallas | Seattle Sounders | within MLS | — | $2.3M | allocation money | 1 | |
| 2024 | Pedro de la Vega | Lanús | Seattle Sounders | in | $7.5M | — | cash | 1 | |
| 2014 | DeAndre Yedlin | Seattle Sounders | Tottenham Hotspur | out | $4M | — | cash | 1 | |
| 2013 | Clint Dempsey | Tottenham Hotspur | Seattle Sounders | in | $9M | — | cash | 1 2 |
Fees paid and received, as reported; nearly all are press estimates. Every transfer on record.
Coaches and front office
Head coaches
Click or tap a bar to see the coach and their dates.
| name | from | to | years | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigi Schmid | Dec 16, 2008 | Jul 26, 2016 | 7.6 | 1 2 |
| Sigi Schmid | Dec 16, 2008 | Jul 26, 2016 | 7.6 | 1 2 |
| Brian Schmetzer (interim) | Jul 26, 2016 | Nov 1, 2016 | 0.3 | 1 2 |
| Brian Schmetzer (interim) | Jul 26, 2016 | Nov 1, 2016 | 0.3 | 1 2 |
| Brian Schmetzer | Nov 2, 2016 | now | 9.9 | 1 2 |
| Brian Schmetzer | Nov 2, 2016 | now | 9.9 | 1 2 |
Running the soccer side
| name | title | from | to | years | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adrian Hanauer | General Manager | 2007 | Jan 6, 2015 | — | 1 2 |
| Adrian Hanauer | General Manager | 2007 | Jan 6, 2015 | — | 1 2 |
| Chris Henderson | Technical Director | Jan 24, 2008 | Jan 18, 2021 | 13.0 | 1 2 |
| Chris Henderson | Technical Director | Jan 24, 2008 | Jan 18, 2021 | 13.0 | 1 2 |
| Garth Lagerwey | General Manager and President of Soccer | Jan 6, 2015 | Nov 2022 | 7.8 | 1 2 |
| Garth Lagerwey | General Manager and President of Soccer | Jan 6, 2015 | Nov 2022 | 7.8 | 1 2 |
| Craig Waibel | Sporting Director | Apr 1, 2021 | Nov 30, 2022 | 1.7 | 1 2 |
| Craig Waibel | Sporting Director | Apr 1, 2021 | Nov 30, 2022 | 1.7 | 1 2 |
| Craig Waibel | General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer | Nov 30, 2022 | now | 3.8 | 1 2 |
| Craig Waibel | General Manager and Chief Soccer Officer | Nov 30, 2022 | now | 3.8 | 1 2 |
| Henry Brauner | Technical Director | Nov 20, 2023 | now | 2.9 | 1 2 |
| Henry Brauner | Technical Director | Nov 20, 2023 | now | 2.9 | 1 2 |
The club's top soccer executive, under whatever title the club gave the job.
Assistant coaches
| name | title | from | to | years | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Schmetzer | Assistant Coach | 2009 | Jul 26, 2016 | — | 1 2 |
| Brian Schmetzer | Assistant Coach | 2009 | Jul 26, 2016 | — | 1 2 |
| Ezra Hendrickson | Assistant Coach | Jan 20, 2009 | 2014 | — | 1 2 |
| Ezra Hendrickson | Assistant Coach | Jan 20, 2009 | 2014 | — | 1 2 |
| Ante Razov | Assistant Coach | 2015 | 2016 | — | 1 |
| Ante Razov | Assistant Coach | 2015 | 2016 | — | 1 |
| Djimi Traoré | Assistant Coach | 2016 | 2021 | — | 1 |
| Djimi Traoré | Assistant Coach | 2016 | 2021 | — | 1 |
| Gonzalo Pineda | Assistant Coach | 2017 | Aug 2021 | — | 1 |
| Gonzalo Pineda | Assistant Coach | 2017 | Aug 2021 | — | 1 |
| Preki | Assistant Coach | 2018 | now | — | 1 2 |
| Preki | Assistant Coach | 2018 | now | — | 1 2 |
| Freddy Juarez | Assistant Coach | 2021 | now | — | 1 2 |
| Freddy Juarez | Assistant Coach | 2021 | now | — | 1 2 |
| Andy Rose | Assistant Coach | 2022 | 2026 | — | 1 |
| Andy Rose | Assistant Coach | 2022 | 2026 | — | 1 |
| Steven Lenhart | Assistant Coach | 2025 | now | — | 1 |
| Steven Lenhart | Assistant Coach | 2025 | now | — | 1 |
| Ricardo Clark | Assistant Coach | 2026 | now | — | 1 2 |
| Ricardo Clark | Assistant Coach | 2026 | now | — | 1 2 |
First-team assistants where a report names them; the record is thinner the further back it goes.
Value & ownership
Valuations
Click or tap a mark to see what it is.
| season | publisher | rank | value | revenue | operating income | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Forbes | 6 | $860,000,000 | $100,000,000 | $3,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2026 | Sportico | 6 | $915,000,000 | $105,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2025 | Forbes | 7 | $800,000,000 | $83,000,000 | $2,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2025 | Sportico | 7 | $825,000,000 | $83,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2024 | Forbes | 6 | $785,000,000 | $75,000,000 | $2,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2024 | Sportico | 7 | $795,000,000 | $77,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2023 | Forbes | 8 | $660,000,000 | $66,000,000 | $1,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2022 | Sportico | 4 | $725,000,000 | $66,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2021 | Sportico | 4 | $705,000,000 | — | — | 1 2 |
| 2019 | Forbes | 4 | $405,000,000 | $47,000,000 | $1,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2018 | Forbes | 3 | $310,000,000 | $52,000,000 | $6,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2017 | Forbes | 2 | $295,000,000 | $53,000,000 | $6,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2016 | Forbes | 1 | $285,000,000 | $52,000,000 | $9,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2015 | Forbes | 1 | $245,000,000 | $50,000,000 | $10,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2013 | Forbes | 1 | $175,000,000 | $48,000,000 | $18,200,000 | 1 2 |
Estimates, not sale prices. Forbes values the team alone, its revenue and operating income are for the season before the list; Sportico includes the team's real estate and related businesses. Every club's valuations.
Ownership
Major League Soccer
Seattle Sounders joined MLS in 2009 for an expansion fee of $30,000,000, awarded in 2007.
| league | operator | from | to | note | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLS | Joe Roth | 2007 | 2015 | Adrian Hanauer, Paul Allen and Drew Carey minority owners | 1 |
| MLS | Adrian Hanauer | 2015 | 2019 | 1 | |
| MLS | Adrian Hanauer, Jody Allen and partners | 2019 | present | a wider group of local investors joined in 2019 | 1 |
North American Soccer League
Seattle Sounders joined NASL in 1974 for an expansion fee of $75,000, awarded in 1973.
| league | operator | from | to | note | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASL | Walter Daggatt and partners | 1974 | 1983 | local investors throughout, control changing among them | 1 |
Every club's ownership, sales and expansion fees.
Revenue
Sponsorships
| sponsor | named | seasons | a year | in all | note | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox | shirt | 2009–2018 | $4,000,000 | $40,000,000 | about $4M a season at first, just under $5M by the last | 1 |
| Zulily | shirt | 2019– | — | — | said to pay more a year than Xbox's last season | 1 |
Figures are as reported, mostly press estimates; one in grey italics is worked out from the other figure and the deal's length. Seasons are the first and last the deal covers. Sources are numbered links to the reports. Every club's sponsorships.