Seattle Sounders and Mexico national team midfielder Obed Vargas was voted as the best young player in MLS in the league’s annual 22 Under 22 list.
It’s a historic accomplishment for Vargas, who becomes the first Mexican player ever to top the list.
The 20-year-old has become irreplaceable in Brian Schmetzer’s side. With fellow standout midfielder Cristian Roldán next to him, Seattle Sounders boast one of the best midfields in all of MLS.
Vargas is an all-around, modern day midfielder. Composed in possession, capable of dictating games and picking out passes while also being an excellent ball carrier. He’s also a tenacious, tireless defender that covers ground and is rarely caught out of position.
Vargas made his debut with Seattle as a 16-year-old and has accumulated 127 appearances for the club since he first featured in 2021. During his first year as a professional, he helped the Sounders win their first ever Concacaf Champions Cup in the Spring of 2022.
He’s only gotten better since and in 2025 he was one of the team’s best players in the Club World Cup. Vargas was sensational as well in Seattle’s 2025 Leagues Cup triumph, when they became the first MLS team to win every trophy available.
With such an impressive resumé and a laundry-list of superb performances, it’s not hard to understand why he was voted as the best young talent in MLS this year.
Vargas was a regular at USMNT youth camps in the past, but everything changed in 2024. He continues to shine on the international stage, but he does it for another country.
