😤 Seattle players hit out at MLS over Club World Cup ‘cash grab’ | OneFootball

MLS outfit Seattle Sounders have made their feelings known surrounding the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup and MLS' decisions surrounding the tournament.

Per league insider Tom Bogert, Brian Schmetzer's troops donned shirts during their pre-match routine at Lumen Field before kicking off against Minnesota United.

As one of three MLS sides taking part in the summer showdown, Sounders players wore “World Cup Cash Grab” shirts amid continued efforts to earn participants a greater share of the prize money that MLS has received from FIFA.

In a statement released by MLSPA, the organization stands united with the action, stating "FIFA's new tournament piles on to players' ever-increasing workload without regard to their physical well-being."

It continues; "In order to seize this additional calendar territory, FIFA had to commit historic amounts of prize money to secure club and player participation."

"As a result, MLS will receive an unprecedented financial windfall. Despite this windfall, the league has refused to allocate a fair percentage of those funds to the players themselves."

Seattle is set to take on Champions League winner PSG, Spanish giants Atlético de Madrid, and Brazilian side Botafogo in Group B play, which is set to kick off on June 15th when the Sounders welcome Fogo to the Pacific Northwest.

📸 Editorial Photo Credit: © Joe Nicholson | 2025 Jun 1 - Imagn Images