On social media, João Paulo announced that he will be retiring after 16 years as a professional. João Paulo, 34 years old, faced a crossroads as his latest Sounders contract expired at the end of the 2025 MLS season, where he previously announced that he would not be rejoining the Sounders in 2026.
Following his contract expiration, Paulo had a massive life decision to make on whether to play for a different club, perhaps weighing a return to Brazil, or beginning his life as a retired footballer.
Photo: Area Sports Network
On his social media post, Paulo said “chegou a hora de pendurar as minhas chuteiras,” translating as “time to hang up the boots” from Portuguese to English. In his post, translated again, Paulo added “After 16 years as a professional athlete, it’s time to live new experiences and enjoy my family closely.”
View João Paulo’s full retirement announcement post on Instagram here.
João Paulo joined the Sounders in 2020, initially as a loanee from Botafogo. Making 23 appearances and scoring two goals for Seattle during the unique season heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Paulo made a positive impact to the squad as a deep-lying playmaker, which led to the Sounders making another appearance in MLS Cup.
Photo: Lindsey Wasson / Sounders FC Communications
When his loan was set to expire in Seattle, the club jumped on the opportunity to acquire Paulo as a permanent signing in 2021, where the club signed Paulo as a designated player.
However, João Paulo’s Seattle career was not as straightforward, suffering a torn ACL during the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League Final second leg against Pumas. It was an unfortunate major setback for the midfielder, but Paulo was able to make a full recovery following a successful knee surgery and returned to full play in the following season.
Following the conclusion of the 2024 season, João Paulo re-signed for the Sounders through 2025 with a club option for 2026. It then followed that Paulo took more of a supporting role in the squad, playing 11 games and starting six in 2025.
Photo: Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications
In his final season, it was feared that João Paulo had torn his ACL during training in the summer, though in a surprise turn of events, it appeared the ACL was intact. Paulo received a partial meniscectomy on July 21st, 2025, and he returned just in time before the season’s conclusion.
The Sounders declined João Paulo’s 2026 club option after the season ended, prompting his ‘moving on’ post on social media in November 2025 and marking the finish of a notable Sounders career.
João Paulo was the proven chef of the squad, starting 103 out of 119 appearances for the Sounders in the MLS regular season, maintaining 85.83% passing accuracy, and bagging six goals and 19 assists.
Cover Photo: Maddy Grassy / Sounders FC Communications
