Feb. 2, 2026 marked a monumental day for both Obed Vargas and the Seattle Sounders organization.
After a series of discussions with multiple clubs from around the world, Sounders FC initiated a historic transfer for the midfielder to join the club he grew up watching and idolizing: Atlético de Madrid.
“It’s pretty fulfilling all the way around,” said General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “It's a dream come true for him.”
Beginning at the age of 14-years-old, Vargas bought into the long-term development plan the Sounders laid out for him. He accepted each and every challenge and embraced both the good and bad moments for what they were, leading him to this once-and-a-lifetime opportunity.
“He has the ability to self-evaluate and self-correct. He doesn't rely just on coaches' inputs for improvement," said Waibel. "He has an open mind towards coaching points, and I personally think one of his greatest assets is that he's stubborn. You've got to be really stubborn to ignore all the no's, to ignore all the doubts, to ignore all the failures, to get the smaller bowl of achievements.”
His underlying efforts go hand in hand with the Sounders’ commitment to preparing players for the highest levels of the game. The move serves as proof of concept for the club’s player development model.
Across all levels of the pathway, the coaching staff are focused on giving younger players opportunities. In the Academy, 14-year-olds are regularly playing with U-16s and even U-18s, if they are competing beyond their age group.
“It permeates from top to bottom in terms of that belief. When someone's ready, they're ready, and Brian [Schmetzer] and the First Team staff have exemplified that over the last three years,” said Waibel. “The quality of the development has improved to a point where there's now blind trust when our second team says, ‘Hey, Brian, this player is ready for you.’ And now, it's up to the player to adjust and excel.”
Vargas fits the mold of what every club hopes a Homegrown player pans out to be. From a player's perspective going through a similar development process, it provides a strong idea of what is possible in their professional careers.
“Simply put, the lids come off any limitation that used to perhaps be believed,” said Waibel. “This kind of proves that what we're doing here is not unique in the world, but it is a skill that we are on a very short list in America that's doing it as consistently as we are doing it.”
“This type of transfer just kind of screams out to all the young dreamers and the young kids playing soccer that this is the place to [be].”
The Sounders are one of the few teams in MLS that are arguably known throughout the world as winners. Some MLS teams are known by brand and by measures of achievement, but Seattle is a team that has won since they joined the league and that continues to win.
Vargas’ transfer represents a level to that success where they are now developing world-class players.
“We're adding another layer to it, as opposed to really redefining it, and I think that's compliments to the environment, that's compliments to the fan base that make our players comfortable enough to show who they are, because it's not easy to play in front of this many people when you're that young,” said Waibel.
“It's a shared accomplishment across the organization and to our fan base that we are known for what we're known for, because it all melds together.”
