Seattle Sounders’ historic win over Inter Miami was marred by brawls on the pitch and fan fights in the streets.
SEATTLE — What should have been a night of celebration for the Seattle Sounders ended with brawls on the pitch and clashes in the streets, overshadowing a historic win at Lumen Field.
More than 69,000 fans filled Lumen Field Sunday as the Sounders hosted Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup championship. The match carried extra buzz with soccer superstar Lionel Messi in town.
On the field, Seattle dominated, beating Miami 3–0 and becoming the only MLS club to win every major North American trophy.
But minutes after the final whistle, attention shifted to pushing and shoving that escalated into a brawl between players. Another fight broke out among fans outside the stadium.
Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer said the behavior took away from what should have been a moment of pride.
“Unfortunately, that is going to take some of the attention away from what was a great Sounder performance,” Schmetzer said. “So I can take that as a compliment, that their players were frustrated, and frustrations led to some things that shouldn’t happen on the field. But that shouldn’t be the story.”
In the stands and outside the stadium, fans expressed similar frustration. Video posted to social media shows dozens of people scrapping in the street, at one point hurling a garbage can and a traffic cone. Seattle police said they are aware of the video but, as of Monday afternoon, no police reports were filed.
For many, the night was supposed to be about seeing Messi play in Seattle as an Inter Miami player for the first time. The Dominguez family drove three hours from Oregon to be there.
“And then next thing you know, I see the huge crowd of players start grabbing each other, fighting,” Pablo Dominguez said.
His sister, Ailene Dominguez, said the fighting was out of place at an MLS match.
“I don’t think it should get to the point where everyone should start fighting,” she said. “Yeah, you could love a team, real nice. But I don’t think it’s that deep to go fight with someone else and get all brawly and everything.”
Outside, Arely Sainz of Oregon described tensions rising after the final whistle.
“They were just kind of yelling back and forth at each other, and then security got called, got pulled, and then everyone was just saying, bye, bye,” she said.
Others echoed the same sentiment. CJ, a fan from Seattle, said the outbursts crossed the line of what sports should represent.
“I think it’s crazy that people get so worked up over a game,” CJ said. “It’s supposed to be about competing and friendly rivalry, and you shake hands before the game and after. That’s what they teach you when you’re little.”
Schmetzer said he sought out Messi after the match to apologize directly.
“Afterwards, I had a quiet moment with Messi on the field, and I said, ‘Lo siento,’” he said. “And we tried to push it aside.”
The Leagues Cup organizing committee is investigating and players could face fines or suspensions. For fans, the incident served as an early glimpse of the intensity expected when Seattle hosts World Cup matches in 2026.
