The owners of D.C. United, Washington’s Major League Soccer team, are quietly weighing a sale of the franchise, people briefed on the discussions said on Sunday.

The potential sale arose from efforts by D.C. United’s majority owners to sell a 35 percent stake once held by the investor Will Chang. Mr. Chang sold that stake to the team last fall.

D.C. United’s owners had delayed that sale process while they worked on preparations for the team’s new stadium, which broke ground in February. As they resumed exploring a sale of some, or all, of Mr. Chang’s former stake, they also began to consider selling the team, the people said.

In recent weeks, the team has reached out to several important people within the Washington sports community, including Daniel Snyder, the owner of the Washington Redskins, and Ted Leonsis, owner of the N.B.A.’s Washington Wizards and the N.H.L.’s Capitals, the people said.