The Seattle Sounders are visiting Guatemala’s Antigua GFC on Wednesday, Feb. 19 (5 p.m. PT; FS2), in the first leg of Round One of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. The second leg of the home-and-home series will be played at Lumen Field on Wednesday, Feb. 26 (7:30 p.m. PT; FS2 | TICKETS). Here is everything you need to know about the competition and the Sounders’ first round opponent.
CCC: The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup is a 27-team continental tournament that grants a spot in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup. The single-match final will be held on June 1.
CCC FORMAT: The Sounders are one of 10 Major League Soccer clubs participating in this year’s edition of the tournament. Twenty-two of the 27 teams begin play in Round One, with five clubs receiving a bye into the Round of 16. The full bracket can be found here.
CCC SUCCESS: Seattle defeated Mexico’s Pumas UNAM in 2022 to become the first MLS champion of the modern Champions League format. Liga MX’s CF Pachuca is the reigning champion.
WHAT’S NEXT: If the Sounders get past Antigua, they will face Mexican club Cruz Azul, which already dispatched Haitian side Real Hope 7-0 on aggregate.
Single Match Tickets Available Now
Single Match Tickets for the 2025 MLS Regular Season are available now! Join us for a vibrant matchday experience filled with action-packed soccer.
ABOUT ANTIGUA: Los Panzas Verdes were founded in 1958 and play at Estadio Pensativo in Antigua, Guatemala.
HOW THEY QUALIFIED: Antigua earned a berth in the 2025 CCC via their semifinal appearance in the 2024 Concacaf Central American Cup.
CURRENT FORM: Antigua is second in Liga Nacional’s Clausura season with 16 points from eight matches.
PLAYERS TO KNOW:
• Cristian Hernández: The 29-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder is the focal point in the team’s attack. He has 24 goals and 20 assists in 108 matches since joining from fellow Guatemalan outfit Iztapa three years ago.
• Juan Apaolaza: Apaolaza was Antigua’s big winter signing, joining in January from Venezuela’s Carabobo FC. The 27-year-old center forward is a product of Estudiantes in his native Argentina, where he also has experience in the Argentine First Division, one of North America’s most competitive leagues. He already has two goals and an assist in just 420 minutes to begin his Antigua tenure.
• José Ardón: The 25-year-old defender is the leader of this team, captaining them and logging over 15,000 minutes in his Antigua career. He is a two-time league champion and has earned 31 caps for the Guatemalan national team.
