Four Sounders FC players in FIFA World Cup qualifying action this week

Following last week’s two-match road trip against Club León and Austin FC, four Seattle Sounders FC players are in action this week for the last round of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification around the globe. Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan are with the U.S. Men’s National Team for its final round of Concacaf qualifiers against Mexico (March 24), Panama (March 27) and Costa Rica (March 30), while Xavier Arreaga represents Ecuador in its final two CONBEBOL qualifiers against Paraguay (March 24) and Argentina (March 29) and Nouhou joins Cameroon for a home-and-home series against Algeria (March 25 and 29) for a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, Obed Vargas is with the U.S. U-20 Men’s Youth National Team for a pair of friendly matches in Buenos Aries, Argentina. 

Morris and Roldan join the United States for its final three World Cup Qualifiers, as the USMNT (6-2-3, 21 points) sits in second place in the Concacaf standings with the top three teams clinching automatic berths to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the fourth-place team will participate in an intercontinental playoff in June. This World Cup qualifying cycle wraps up with a trio of matches during the March international window, facing regional rival Mexico tonight in Mexico City (7:00 p.m. PT / Univision, TUDN, CBS Sports Network, Paramount+), Panama on March 27 in Orlando (4:00 p.m. PT / FS1, UniMás, TUDN) and Costa Rica on the road in San Jose on March 30 (6:05 p.m. PT / Paramount+, Universo, Peacock). Morris has 43 career caps and 10 international goals, and has scored three goals across all competitions in 2022 after missing almost the entirety of 2021 due to an ACL injury. Roldan, who leads Sounders FC with six assists across all competitions this year, has 31 career international caps and 14 starts. 

Arreaga has become a mainstay for the Ecuador squad, starting seven of nine matches in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying so far, scoring in a 6-1 win over Colombia on November 17, 2020. La Tri currently sits in third place in the CONMEBOL standings (7-5-4, 25 points), having already clinched at least a spot in the intercontinental playoff ahead of its final two qualifying matches at Paraguay later today, March 24 and at home against Argentina on March 29. Arreaga, who has 15 career international caps, has appeared in all eight matches for Seattle this year across all competitions, scoring one goal. 

Nouhou has 12 career caps for the Cameroon National Team, all starts. Most recently, he is coming off a third-place finish in the Africa Cup of Nations, losing to Egypt in the Quarterfinals, where he started all six matches for Cameroon in the tournament. After finishing first in Group D in the CAF qualifying table (5-1-0, 15 points), Cameroon is scheduled to play a home-and-home series against Algeria on March 25 and 29 for a spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Nouhou has appeared in all eight matches for Seattle this year across all competitions.

Vargas, 16, has been called up to the U.S. U-20 Men’s Youth National Team for a pair of matches against Argentina U-20s on March 26 and Argentine side River Plate on March 29, both in Buenos Aries. The 16-year-old signed a First Team contract this offseason and appeared in all eight matches for Seattle in all competitions this year.

Sounders FC heads into the international break with a 1-2-1 record in league play, next traveling to St. Paul to take on Minnesota United FC (2-0-2, 8 points) on Saturday, April 2 (5:00 p.m. / FOX 13, Prime Video, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM).