Georgi Minoungou is one of the Seattle Sounders’ most intriguing player development success stories in recent years. The 23-year-old winger’s path to MLS was anything but traditional. Born in Ivory Coast and now a Burkina Faso international, Minoungou was signed by Czech side MFK Vyškov in 2021 before being loaned to Tacoma Defiance. The Sounders signed him to a first-team contract in August 2024.
Minoungou featured in 23 MLS matches for the Sounders during the 2025 season, logging 713 minutes while tallying one goal and three assists. He also appeared in six matches for the Tacoma Defiance across MLS NEXT Pro and U.S. Open Cup play, where he recorded one goal and five assists.
What makes his rise especially impressive is what he has overcome along the way. In 2023, Minoungou suffered a serious eye infection that left him effectively blind in his left eye. He did not allow this to derail his career. Strong performances during Seattle’s 2024 U.S. Open Cup run earned him his MLS debut against LA Galaxy, followed by his signing with the first-team.
On the international stage, Minoungou earned his first senior cap for Burkina Faso in September 2025 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Djibouti. Just months later, he scored a brace against Benin in a friendly before carrying that momentum into the Africa Cup of Nations. During AFCON, he delivered one of the tournament’s most exciting moments – a stoppage-time equalizer against Equatorial Guinea that sparked a dramatic comeback in the group stage. He appeared in four matches during the tournament where Burkina Faso ultimately fell to Ivory Coast in the first knockout round.
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty analysis, I would like to note that this article uses event data from WhoScored, with advanced summary statistics coming from Opta. All of the stats are presented on a per-90 basis and compare Minoungou against all MLS players who logged at least 500 minutes during the 2025 season.
Carrying Profile
If there is one area where Minoungou clearly separates himself, it is ball carrying.
- 22.6 carries – 100th percentile
- 263 meter carry distance – 99th percentile
- 14.1 progressive carries – 100th percentile
- 0.87 shots from carries – 94th percentile
- 1.62 chances created from carries – 100th percentile
On a per-90 basis, no player in MLS is more effective with the ball at his feet. Minoungou ranks in the 99th to 100th percentile league-wide for carries, progressive carries, and total carry distance. What truly separates him, however, is what those carries lead to.
His 1.62 chances created from carries per 90 is the most impressive figure in his profile, and the best in MLS by a significant margin. The next closest player, Liel Abada, sits at 1.21, with Son Heung-min trailing behind him at 0.98. These aren’t marginal gaps; Minoungou is operating in his own tier.
This highlight reel from Burkina Faso’s AFCON match against Ivory Coast illustrates his ability well. Playing just 45 minutes off the bench, Minoungou posted 0.32 expected assists and created one chance. While Burkina Faso ultimately lost 3-0, the match showcased how disruptive he can be off the dribble against elite opposition including stars like Amad Diallo, Evan Ndicka, and Franck Kessié. Sequences around the 0:24, 1:10, and 2:33 segments of the highlight reel show his ability to attack defenders directly and destabilize defensive lines.
