The Homegrown Player Spotlight series, in partnership with American Family Insurance, celebrates young Seattle athletes who dream of taking their soccer aspirations to new heights. Through dedication, community support and the Sounders’ Development Pathway, players like Danny Leyva turn that pursuit into reality before making their way to the First Team.
Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Leyva made the move to the Pacific Northwest at only 14-years-old to pursue his desire of playing soccer at the professional level.
The midfielder’s raw talent with soccer club Barcelona Las Vegas earned him a spot with the Sounders Academy in 2017. Leyva hit the ground running in Seattle, tallying 11 goals and 13 assists across all competitions in his first year (2017-18). Immediately turning heads as a creative fulcrum in midfield, Leyva helped the Sounders U-17’s win the USSDA national championship for the first time in club history. The next year, he captained the Sounders Academy U-17’s that became the first MLS team to win the coveted Generation adidas Cup, beating top global clubs like Flamengo, West Ham, River Plate and Valencia.
“His strengths are definitely his technical ability in his passing range, vision,” said Assistant Coach Freddy Juarez. “He sees a lot of things on the field. He's really cerebral, and he has a technical ability to deliver off that.”
2-Match Pack: Home Opener + Portland Match
Start the 2026 season strong with the Sounders’ 2-Match Pack! Get tickets to the Home Opener and the can’t-miss clash with the Portland Timbers. Lock in your seats now and bring the energy to two of the biggest matches of the year.
Just two years after joining the Academy, Leyva signed his first professional contract with the Sounders second team (now Tacoma Defiance). It only took five appearances with S2, however, for him to level up and become the 12th Homegrown player in club history to sign with the First Team.
April 9, 2019 marked a monumental day for both Leyva and the Sounders organization. In addition to Leyva achieving his ambition of competing in MLS, the Sounders made history with the teenager being the youngest player to sign with the First Team at just 15-years-old.
“The first day when they presented me with a jersey, Schmetz and all the staff, I think just the first training session with people that I idolized like Nico [Lodeiro], Raul [Ruidíaz], all those guys, that was very memorable for me,” said Leyva.
Jump to present day, Leyva has cemented himself as a core member of the Sounders squad.
MLS - FIFA Calendar Alignment
The MLS Board of Governors has approved a shift to a summer-to-spring schedule, aligning MLS with the world’s top leagues. This transition opens the door to greater competitive opportunities, fewer conflicts with international windows, and improved access to elite talent in the global transfer market.
“I've grown in the sense of trying to be a leader and trying to be a good example for [the youth players going through the pipeline and signing with the First Team],” said Leyva. “And obviously, physically too, in some of my areas, I wasn't as strong in, defensively, being a little bit tougher without the ball, and kind of winning more tackles. So that's been overall good.”
Whether he earns a starting spot or comes off the bench, the young veteran takes advantage of every opportunity he gets on the pitch. In 2025 alone, the midfielder collected four assists for the Rave Green and spearheaded some significant wins, including their 5-2 result over LAFC back in March.
But, this success did not come easy. From initial adjustments of playing at a higher level, to going on loan to the Colorado Rapids during the 2023 season to gain more minutes under his belt, Leyva has been on a constant grind to fight for playing time with the First Team.
“As a player, [he’s a] top professional, just really comes in every day, does his job, puts his head down, works,” said Juarez. “He's willing to do whatever it takes to continue to grow and become a better player.”
Juarez emphasized how his importance on the team extends to his off field interactions as well.
“[Danny’s] an unbelievable person, super human being, great teammate, great friend, I'm sure,” he said. “Just a great person to be around, to have on your team.”
The 22-year-old has come a long way since his initial signing, having been a part of three of the Sounders’ seven major trophies (MLS Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup) while making large strides in his game.
And he has yet to reach his ceiling.
“I [want to] try to get more minutes, try to be one of the more main state players, try to be in the starting lineup a little bit more, and then kind of impact the team a little more, and grow into that role a little bit,” said Leyva. “So I think those are my individual goals…And [eventually], continue to grow on in my career and make more achievements than objectives.”
