Seattle Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas has confirmed to ESPN that Club América expressed interest by reaching out to his representatives during this winter transfer window, but quickly shut down the idea of a move to Liga MX to prioritize a future in Europe.
“They reached out, but my priority is going to Europe,” Vargas said to ESPN. “My contract with the Sounders expires at the end of this year, so if [a move to Europe] doesn’t happen before that then the idea is at the end of the year.”
The 20-year-old midfielder first debuted with the Sounders in 2021, before going on to record four goals and 12 assists in 92 Major League Soccer appearances across five seasons. He’s become an integral part of the Sounders system under head coach Brian Schmetzer, featuring in the team’s 2022 Concacaf Champions League triumph and 2025 Leagues Cup final victory over Inter Miami.
His role for the Seattle Sounders garnered the attention of the Mexican national team, inspiring calls up to the youth and senior teams. Vargas recently featured under manager Javier Aguirre when entering the friendly against Uruguay in the 65th minute to replace Marcel Ruiz.
The midfielder also represented Mexico in the Under-20 World Cup, where the team advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Argentina. He played in all five games at the youth tournament.
Vargas emphasized the goal remains to make Mexico’s 26-player roster for the 2026 World Cup, understanding the immense challenge of the upcoming months.
“The November camp was very good to me, I had a good camp. I got my name more into the mix,” Vargas said. “Whenever I can get called up, it’s good. This time I got 30 minutes on the field, so the next step for me is playing at least 45 to really get into the squad and solidify my name. After that, we’ll see,”
“Every time I’ve been in a camp, the coaching staff lets us know that we are in there for a reason. There is only a certain number of players that can make the roster, so if you are here it means you have a chance to make the World Cup roster. They tell us to be healthy, be fit and be playing, that’ll give you the best chance of making the squad. So those are my goals this year, be healthy, be fit and be playing.”
Vargas and the Seattle Sounders kick off the 2026 season on Feb. 22 when facing the Colorado Rapids in Lumen Field.
