The FIFA Club World Cup 2023 is here. The 19th edition of the competition will take place from February 1-11, 2023, in Morocco. Seattle Sounders, the champions of the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, will represent the North America (CONCACAF) region among 5 other continental champions and the host nation’s league champions.
The MLS (Major League Soccer) club Seattle Sounders beat the Mexican side UNAM by 5-2 on aggregate in the final to lift the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League glory. It was the American club’s first title in the competition. Moreover, the Sounders were the first MLS side to clinch the title under its current format.
This year, it’s going to be the first appearance of the Sounders in the FIFA Club World Cup. As the CONCACAF representatives, the Seattle Sounders will get a bye to the second round (effectively quarter-finals) of the competition.
Now, let’s take a quick look at the potential Seattle Sounders squad for the FIFA Club World Cup 2023.
Seattle Sounders Squad
The Sounders boss Brian Schametzer will name a 23-man squad (three of whom have to be goalkeepers) for the tournament. Injury replacements are allowed until 24 hours before the team’s first match.
Here’s the potential roster of the Seattle Sounders.
| Position | Players |
| Goalkeepers | Stefan Frei, Stefan Cleveland, Andrew Thomas |
| Defenders | Kelyn Rowe, Yeimar Gomez, Nouhou Tolo, Xavier Arreaga, Alex Roldan, Ethan Dobbelaere, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Jackson Ragen |
| Midfielders | Nicolas Lodeiro, Albert Rusnak, Joshua Atencio, Obed Vargas, João Paulo, Danny Leyva |
| Forwards | Cristian Roldan, Raul Ruidiaz, Jordan Morris, Fredy Montero, Heber |
Injury Report
The Seattle Sounders’ only injury concern is Joao Paulo. The Brazilian midfielder sustained a cruciate ligament injury. It could be too early for him to return for the Club World Cup.
Other than that, Brian Schametzer will choose from a fully fit squad.
Key Players
- Nicolas Lodeiro
- Raul Ruidiaz
- Cristian Roldan
- Jordan Morris
Uruguayan midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro will be a crucial player for the Sounders in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The 33-year-old scored 7 goals and 7 assists in the MLS 2022. Moreover, he scored 5 goals and 2 assists in the CONCACAF Champions League to help his side win the title.
Peruvian forward Raul Ruidiaz was the team’s top scorer in the MLS last season, scoring 9 goals. The 28-year-old American striker Jordan Morris scored 7 goals. A lot of responsibilities will be on these two forwards.
Seattle Sounders’ Fixtures in FIFA Club World Cup
As the champions of the CONCACAF region, Seattle Sounders will get a bye to the second round.
The Sounders will face the first-round winners, the winners of the Al Ahly vs Auckland City game, on February 4, 2023, at 5:30 GMT.
| Round | Fixture | Date | Time | Venue |
| Second Round | Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly / Auckland City | Saturday, February 4, 2023 | 5:30 pm GMT | Ibn Batouta Stadium, Tangier |
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