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  "description": "Players that make sense for Seattle in the summer window",
  "path": "/2026/06/7-reasons-to-watch-non-us-games-at-the-world-cup/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-09T23:10:58.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.sounderatheart.com",
  "tags": [
    "Transfermarkt",
    "Fbref",
    "women.life.freedom movement during World Cup 2022",
    "fotmob",
    "Sofascore",
    "undecided",
    "a first team preseason",
    "Transferkmarkt",
    "FotMob",
    "defensively stout with strong size who is solid across the skills",
    "Fotmob",
    "Cammy Devlin"
  ],
  "textContent": "The World Cup kicks off this week, and while there’s plenty of soccer to watch, you may be looking for a particular reason to sink your teeth into one match or another. Plenty of Sounders fans will be tuning in for the U.S. Men’s National Team’s games, cheering on our own Cristian Roldan and the men around him. Our friends and neighbors will be supporting their countries of birth, the lands their parents and predecessors hailed from, or the nations that they simply feel connected to for one reason or another. If you are looking for more reasons to catch particular teams, maybe watching a possible future Sounders signing is the hook you need.\n\nWith the transfer window opening in the middle of July and the Sounders having both roster needs and resources to utilize, the World Cup provides a showcase for both players and the city and soccer culture of Seattle. Dave Clark and I have combed through World Cup rosters, dug into the stats and contract situations of many players making their way to North America for the tournament, and came away with 7 guys who seem like they would meet the Sounders’ needs while also likely being within their budget. There are free agents, late career proven winners likely looking for one last contract, and young players who could see their stars continue to brighten here in Seattle.\n\n## Ehsan Hajsafi\n\nNational Team: Iran\n\nClub team: Sepahan\n\nPosition/role: LB/LW/CAM\n\nAge: 36\n\nTransfer value estimate: $1.5m 📉\n\nAnnual salary: ~$300k\n\nStats pages: Transfermarkt, Fbref\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nSeattle should not get older, but finding a player with multiple trophies in multiple tournaments is hard. (Greece, Iran, West Asia). This isn’t the first time Sounder at Heart has suggested Hajsafi, but making the World Cup roster a fourth time gives Dave an excuse to shout out the left back who started pro play in Germany then bounced between Iran and Greece. He’s previously played against the U.S. and is likely to see the field during the matchup in a couple weeks.\n\nEhsan is that left back who can slip into inner channels, with more than 20 goals and 20 assists in his career. He also fits a traditional Sounders desire to acquire captains. No longer fast, he succeeds through smart positioning and successful touches.\n\nHajsafi supported the women.life.freedom movement during World Cup 2022.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nHajsafi is soccer old at this point. He’s probably retiring rather than taking another contract. With an Iranian player there are complicated political reasons why a U.S. team would either struggle to get a visa or have it given a rubber stamp of approval via Truth Social post – Sounders leadership may not want to get involved in that.\n\nAlso, he’s old.\n\n## Gabriel Avalos\n\nNational Team: Paraguay\n\nClub team: Independiente\n\nPosition/role: ST\n\nAge: 35\n\nTransfer value estimate: $875k📉\n\nAnnual salary: ~$850k\n\nStats pages: Transfermarkt, fotmob\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nThe Sounders could use a player who’s going to put the ball in the net. Gabriel Avalos: big man, put ball in net. The 6’2” striker has 10 goals and 5 assists in about 1,500 minutes in the Argentine Liga Profesional Apertura this season. That’s good, I wouldn’t be mad at that. He’s got a good track record, having scored double digit goals in each of the last 6 seasons in Argentina. His contract is up at the end of this season, and if he’s interested in a year or so in Seattle, a move for him could be relatively affordable. He’s probably not going to be a pressing monster, and he wouldn’t be the most involved player outside of the box, but a bigger, more productive version of Danny Musovski who’s a dominant duelist would be a nice addition.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nAt 35 (turning 36 in October), Avalos is getting on in years even if there’s seemingly some sort of fountain of youth fueling prolonged runs for players in South America’s biggest leagues. If he wants to keep playing he could just as easily stay in Argentina or Brazil, and if he knocks in a goal or two at the World Cup he’ll have plenty of interest in a move this summer or a pre-contract for a move in the winter.\n\n## Abdul Mumin\n\nNational Team: Ghana\n\nClub team: Rayo Vallecano\n\nPosition/role: CB\n\nAge: 28\n\nTransfer value estimate: $4.64m📉\n\nAnnual salary: ~$603k\n\nStats pages: Transfermarkt, Sofascore\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nAbdul Mumin is a right-footed CB who can deputize anywhere across the back line with the athleticism to help cover ground next to Jackson Ragen and the ability to pick out the occasional line-breaking pass. After making 50+ appearances in the Portuguese and Spanish top flights with Vitória Guimarães SC and most recently Rayo Vallecano, he’s now available on a free. With no fee required and a salary that should easily fit under the cap, Mumin could be a high-quality piece for several years at a price the Sounders can easily afford.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nAt least part of the reason that Abdul Mumin is available on a free this summer is that he missed the better part of a year from March of 2025 to February of this year with a cruciate ligament injury. Still, he was able to come back from his injury and make Ghana’s World Cup squad, and if he puts in solid performances in Ghana’s group games against Croatia, England and Panama, he’ll have a CV and recent body of work that should make him an attractive player to teams all over the world. If he doesn’t, then the idea of a CB reclamation project may scare off teams like the Sounders.\n\n## Relebohile Mofokeng\n\nNational Team: South Africa\n\nClub team: Orlando Pirates\n\nPosition/role: LW/AM/RW\n\nAge: 21\n\nTransfer value estimate: $2.3m📈\n\nAnnual salary: ~$61.5k\n\nStats pages: Transfermarkt, fotmob\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nRelebohile Mofokeng was a target for Minnesota United last summer that they were unable to get over the line at the end of the season, and it’s not hard to see why. The young winger put up 10 goals and 8 assists in 2,131 league minutes as he helped lead his side Orlando Pirates to a South African Premier Soccer League title. His goals and assists were both the most on the team, and his 18 goal contributions was the most in the league. It was a strong step forward from the previous season when he had 5 goals and 7 assists in 2,294 minutes. He overperformed his xG, but still put up good expected numbers for a winger with a nice combination of taking his own shots and creating chances for teammates. He turns 22 in October, meaning he’s still eligible to be a U22 signing, which would provide some ability to hedge on the bet of signing him.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nMofokeng has never played outside of South Africa, but has been the subject of rumors from teams throughout Europe and beyond over the last couple of years. MLS has provided a quality landing spot for several South African players recently, but not without some objection from the head coach of the national team. The same reasons that Mofokeng will appeal to the Sounders apply to other teams with more flexibility to move on if a signing doesn’t work out. His contract status is somewhat unclear, but it seems as though he may be a free agent this summer which would make a move for him more appealing to European sides.\n\n## Hamza Abdelkarim\n\nNational Team: Egypt\n\nClub team: Barcelona U19s on loan from Al Ahly\n\nPosition/role: F\n\nAge: 18\n\nTransfer value estimate: $1.5m 📈\n\nAnnual salary: unknown\n\nStats pages: Transfermarkt\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nAbdelkarim will spend the summer in Spokane and Seattle as a little used sub for Egypt. He came up through Al Ahly, a former Club World Cup opponent of the Sounders. That means mild connections. He qualifies as a U22, which is necessary, because Barcelona once offered a package that could be worth up to €8 million with a sell on when taking him on loan, but then he didn’t play at the pro level and they are still undecided.\n\nIf he’s available, Seattle would have a starlet striker as a gamble, almost certainly on loan to start. This wouldn’t be a stats play – this would be a proof of performance for the future.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nIf Barca pick him up he’s a rising star with potential for a first team preseason for the Catalan side. Plus, Seattle playing in the same speculative space as Barcelona is a dream. While some MLS sides have taken younger castoffs, this would be something different. The route from Ahly to Europe isn’t impossible, but a stop in America is not necessarily an absurd thought. That Noah Ohio money would be an interesting bet here.\n\n## Arjan Malić\n\nNational Team: Bosnia-Herzegovina\n\nClub team: SK Sturm Graz\n\nPosition/role: RB/CB/LB\n\nAge: 20\n\nTransfer value estimate: $1.8m\n\nAnnual salary: ~$200k\n\nStats pages: Transferkmarkt, FotMob\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nWhat’s not to like about a tall, lanky flex wideback who qualifies as a U22? Maybe he’ll play for Nashville soon. Malić is in a tertiary league in Europe (Austria) which the Sounders have dipped into before. He’s described as defensively stout with strong size who is solid across the skills needed for higher levels in Europe, but without an exceptional skill. The Sounders are slightly tapped for wide backs at this time and lack a solid future there, though they are a strong three-deep with Nouhou, Alex and Kalani.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nUnlike most on this list, Arjan isn’t a free or available on a Bosman. He has a full year after the World Cup. That means if he does break out before Seattle makes contact the deal gets expensive fast. Getting a Euro to dip into the States to get back to Europe can also be difficult. When Adrian had more influence on the signings he always looked for a player who had a singular great skill rather than someone well-rounded, though recent developmental players kept in the org for several years are rounded.\n\n## Paul Okon-Engstler\n\nNational team: Australia\n\nClub team: Sydney FC\n\nPosition/role: CM/DM\n\nAge: 21\n\nTransfer value estimate: $1.4m\n\nAnnual salary: ~$555k\n\nStat pages: Transfermarkt, Fotmob\n\n### Why they make sense in Seattle\n\nThe Sounders have three available U22 spots that they can use this summer, which is why so many guys who could occupy those spots have been included in here. If you’ve got resources, use them... it’s not particularly complicated. With the injury to Nikola Petkovic the Sounders are a little light in midfield, and would benefit from adding another high-ceiling player who could potentially partner with Snyder Brunell or whoever else might make their way through the team for years to come. Paul Okon-Engstler has an impressive pedigree, having worked his way through the youth setups at both Club Brugge and SL Benfica – both clubs that have used their development systems to make themselves regular participants in European competitions – before moving from Benfica’s second team to Sydney FC. Okon-Engstler was born in Ostend, Belgium and is eligible for Italian citizenship as well. He’s a physically solid 6 with an emphasis on the defensive side of his game, winning over 60% of both aerial and ground duels last season and averaging a tick over 6 defensive contributions per 90. His passing is solid, making him a useful part of a team’s possession, and he has the technical ability to dribble out of trouble and beat the press with the ball at his feet. He has good ideas going forward but doesn’t always execute them, which is less of an issue if he’s got players around him who can take care of that part of the game.\n\n### Why it’s unlikely they sign\n\nIf you look at his Transfermarkt page you’ll see that his value has steadily been climbing, particularly since moving to Sydney FC and getting regular first team minutes. Getting the nod for the World Cup with Australia is only going to push that value higher, especially if he shows well during the tournament. With his European passport and experience in prestigious development systems, it’s not hard to imagine other teams circling the 21 year-old. With transfer values being largely guesswork, and consistently well below the actual fee required to sign a young player like this, it’s entirely possible that he’d be beyond Craig Waibel’s budget. It’s also possible that the team doesn’t see central midfield as a position of need, and prioritize other areas for additions and reinforcements this summer. There’s also a recent rumor that the Sounders are looking into adding a different Australian midfielder who will be at the World Cup, Cammy Devlin. Devlin helped Scottish side Hearts in their near-run title push this season, and is now out of contract. The 28 year-old has plenty of quality and experience, and a potential move for him would certainly mean no move for Okon-Engstler.",
  "title": "7 reasons to watch non-US games at the World Cup",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-09T23:11:00.552Z"
}