RENTON, WASH. – Sounders FC today announced that it has signed Tacoma Defiance defender Antino Lopez to a First Team contract. Lopez inks a deal for the 2026 season with club options through June 2027 and for the 2027-2028 season. Originally drafted by Seattle in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft out of Duke, Lopez has gone on to make 41 appearances for Defiance and five for Sounders FC via Short-Term Agreements. The former Sounders FC Academy player has suited up for the First Team four times so far in 2026 with two appearances, including a 90-minute shift in Seattle’s 3-0 road win over Vancouver last Thursday in Concacaf Champions Cup action.
“We’re excited to sign Antino to the roster after the strong performances he’s put together with Tacoma Defiance and in his call-ups to the First Team,” said Sounders FC General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel. “Tino has continued to grow in our system and showed impressive consistency and quality to earn this next step. His progression is another example of the player development pathway we’ve built at this club, where young players are provided with the best staff in the country to achieve their best. We are now looking forward to watching the First Team staff assist in the next phase of growth and development within the club.”
Lopez, 23, is coming off a 2025 season that saw the defender make 15 appearances (10 starts) for Tacoma while completing 87 percent of his passes. He captained the squad against the Portland Timbers in the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 (May 6), a narrow 3-2 loss to the MLS side at Starfire Stadium. Lopez appeared in 25 matches (20 starts) for Defiance in 2024, helping the club advance to the Western Conference Semifinals. The Las Vegas native has appeared in one match for Defiance in 2026 at Houston Dynamo 2 (March 8).
“Antino has earned this contract by stepping up in the moments he’s been called upon,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “Whether it was with Tacoma Defiance or in opportunities with our group, he’s shown the work rate and quality that we value as a staff. He’s continued to grow within our system and earn the trust of his teammates and coaches. We’re excited to see how he’ll continue to develop and help the team moving forward.”
A former Sounders FC Academy product, Lopez was drafted with the 52nd overall pick by Seattle in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. He appeared in 66 matches (65 starts) over four seasons at Duke University, tallying three goals and three assists. The defender started all 16 matches as a freshman in 2020 and was selected to the All-ACC Freshman Team. After recording an assist in Duke’s ACC quarterfinal win over Wake Forest as a sophomore in 2021, Lopez was named to the All-ACC Third Team as a junior in 2022, as the Blue Devils finished first in the ACC Coastal Division. As a senior in 2023, Lopez scored two goals and added one assist and was once again named to the All-ACC Third Team.
Lopez’s signing marks the 13th player on Sounders FC’s current First Team roster that came up through Tacoma Defiance, as well as the eighth that played for Sounders FC Academy.
Seattle hosts Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the second leg of its 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 series on Wednesday, March 18 at ONE Spokane Stadium (8:00 p.m. PT / FS2, TUDN, Concacaf.com). The club then returns to league play as it travels to Minnesota United FC on Sunday, March 22 (11:30 a.m. PT / Apple TV, FOX, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).
TRANSACTION: Sounders FC signs defender Antino Lopez through the 2026 season with club options through June 2027 and the 2027-2028 season on March 17, 2026.
Full Name: Antino Lopez
Position: Defender
Height: 6-0
Weight: 170
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Date of Birth: May 21, 2002 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Nationality: USA
College: Duke
Acquired: Signed on March 17, 2026
