The Seattle Sounders made headlines over the weekend—not for their performance against Minnesota United at Lumen Field, but for what happened before the first whistle. Players took a public stand against Major League Soccer and FIFA, protesting over pay and workload issues tied to the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
FIFA recently announced that the expanded Club World Cup will distribute a record $1 billion in total prize money among the 32 participating clubs. While that’s seen as a financial windfall for organizations, Sounders players are demanding more clarity—and fairness—on how much of that money will go directly to them.
Ahead of kickoff, Sounders players wore T-shirts that read “Club World Ca$h Grab” across the chest. The shirts featured an image of Mr. Monopoly wearing a top hat labeled “MLS,” holding a bag marked “FIFA $.” On the back: “Fair Share Now.”
The protest wasn’t limited to the field. From the stands, Sounders fans joined in, chanting “Fair Share Now” in a loud show of solidarity with the team’s message, prior to the kick off against Minnesota.
The Sounders, backed by MLSPA
The players also received official support from the Major League Soccer Players Association (MLSPA), which issued a statement at the exact moment of kickoff. “The MLSPA and all MLS players stand united with the Seattle Sounders players who tonight demanded a fair share of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money,” the statement began.
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“FIFA’s new tournament piles on to players’ ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being. In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amount of prize money to secure club and player participation. As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented financial windfall. Despite the windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves.,” said part of the statement.
“It is the players who make the game possible. It is the players who are lifting MLS up on the global stage. They expect to be treated fairly and with respect. FAIR SHARE NOW,” concluded the
What’s next for Seattle Sounders?
Inter Miami and LAFC are the other two MLS clubs set to take part in the expanded Club World Cup. As of Sunday night, neither club had released a public statement regarding the protest.
The Sounders will travel to face the Vancouver Whitecaps this coming Sunday in their final MLS match before heading to the international stage. Whether the protest continues remains to be seen—but the message from Seattle is already resonating far beyond Lumen Field.
