FC Dallas facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Toros, Burn | ||
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| Founded | June 6, 1995 as Dallas Burn | ||
| Stadium | Toyota Stadium Frisco, Texas |
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| Stadium capacity |
19,096 | ||
| Owner | Hunt Sports Group | ||
| Chairman | Clark Hunt | ||
| Head coach | Eric Quill | ||
| League | Major League Soccer | ||
| 2024 | Western Conference: 11th Overall: 21st Playoffs: Did not qualify |
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Football Club Dallas, often called FC Dallas, is a professional soccer team from the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex in Texas. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Western Conference. The team started playing in 1996 as one of the first clubs in the league. It was first known as the Dallas Burn when it was founded in 1995. In 2004, the team changed its name to FC Dallas.
Since 2005, FC Dallas has played its home games at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. This stadium holds about 20,500 fans. Before that, in its early years, the team played at the Cotton Bowl. The Hunt Sports Group owns the team, and brothers Clark Hunt and Dan Hunt lead it. The Hunt family also owns the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.
FC Dallas won its first major trophy, the Supporters' Shield, in 2016. This award goes to the MLS team with the best regular season record. In 2010, they almost won the MLS Cup, but lost to the Colorado Rapids in extra time. The team has won the U.S. Open Cup twice, in 1997 and 2016. Their youth academy is very famous for helping young players become professional soccer stars. Many players from their academy have gone on to play for big European clubs and the United States men's national soccer team. Some of these players include Weston McKennie, Reggie Cannon, Ricardo Pepi, and Chris Richards.
Contents
Team History
Dallas Burn: 1996–2004
Dallas was chosen to have an MLS team on June 6, 1995. The team was named the "Dallas Burn" because of the burning oil fields in Texas and the state's hot weather. Hugo Sánchez, a famous player from Mexico, was the first player to join the team.
On April 14, 1996, the Dallas Burn played its first game. They beat the San Jose Clash in a shootout in front of 27,779 fans at the Cotton Bowl. Five days later, Jason Kreis scored the team's first goal. The Burn finished second in the Western Conference that year. They reached the playoffs but lost. In 1997, they won their first U.S. Open Cup by beating D.C. United. In 1999, striker Jason Kreis was named the league's MVP. He was the first player to score 15 goals and make 15 assists in one season.
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In 2001, Mike Jeffries became the new coach. The team reached the playoffs but lost to Jeffries' old team, the Chicago Fire. In 2003, the Burn moved their home games from the Cotton Bowl to a smaller high school stadium, Dragon Stadium, in Southlake. The team did not play well that year and missed the playoffs for the first time.
For the 2004 season, the team moved back to the Cotton Bowl. In August, the team owner, Lamar Hunt, announced that the club would change its name to "FC Dallas." This change happened when they moved to their new soccer-specific stadium in Frisco for the 2005 season.
FC Dallas: 2005–Present
In March 2005, FC Dallas signed Carlos Ruiz, a top forward from Guatemala. On August 6, FC Dallas played its first game at their new stadium, then called Pizza Hut Park. They tied 2–2 with the MetroStars. Dallas made it back to the playoffs in 2005 but lost in a penalty shootout.
In 2006, the team finished first in the Western Conference during the regular season. However, they lost in the playoffs again. In 2007, they reached the U.S. Open Cup final twice but lost both times. For the next two seasons, Dallas missed the MLS playoffs. In 2009, the club signed Bryan Leyva as its first "Homegrown Player" from its own youth academy.
In 2010, Dallas played in the MLS Cup final for the first time. They lost 2–1 to Colorado in extra time. David Ferreira, a midfielder from Colombia, was voted the league's MVP that year. Because they were runners-up in the MLS Cup, Dallas got to play in the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, which is a big tournament for teams in North and Central America. They won their first group game against a Mexican team, UNAM, which was a big achievement for an MLS team.
In October 2013, coach Schellas Hyndman left the team. Three months later, Óscar Pareja, a former Dallas player and assistant coach, became the new head coach. Pareja led the team back to the playoffs in 2014. In 2015, Dallas finished first in the Western Conference. They beat the Seattle Sounders FC in the semifinals but lost to the Portland Timbers in the conference finals.
First Big Wins
Their strong performance in 2015 earned them a spot in the 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League. In 2016, FC Dallas won its first Supporters' Shield and its second U.S. Open Cup. This was a great year for the club, winning two major trophies! They made it to the semifinals of the Champions League but were knocked out by a Mexican team, Pachuca.
Team Colors and Badge
When the Dallas Burn first started, their colors were mostly red and black. Their logo showed a black mustang breathing fire with the word "Burn." This logo and the colors were first shown on October 17, 1995.
When the team changed its name to FC Dallas in 2005, they also changed their colors and logo. Their new colors became red, white, silver, and blue. Their uniforms started to have horizontal stripes. The official colors are called Republic Red, Lonestar White, Bovine Blue, and Shawnee Silver. Red is still the main color for their home uniforms, and blue is often used for their away uniforms. The new team badge has a bull instead of a mustang.
In July 2012, the team wore jerseys with a sponsor's logo for the first time. It was for AdvoCare, a sports nutrition company. In 2014 and 2015, the jerseys had a special message, "Dallas 'Til I Die," inside the collar. They also had the initials "LH" on the back for Lamar Hunt, the club's owner.
Stadium
FC Dallas has played in three different home stadiums, all located in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
| Name | Location | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton Bowl | Dallas | 1996–2002 2004–2005 |
| Dragon Stadium | Southlake | 2003 |
| Toyota Stadium | Frisco | 2005–present |
From 1996 to 2002, the team played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. In 2003, they moved to Dragon Stadium, a high school stadium in Southlake. This was to save money. After hearing from fans, the team moved back to the Cotton Bowl for the 2004 season.
In August 2005, the club moved to Toyota Stadium in Frisco. This was the third stadium in the U.S. built just for soccer. In 2018, the south end of the stadium was updated. It now includes a new home for the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Big changes are planned for Toyota Stadium starting in 2025. These changes will cost $182 million and should be finished by 2028. They include adding roofs over the east and west stands for shade. A new north stand will be built for the team's biggest fans, called "ultras." The stadium will also get the largest LED screen in an American soccer-specific stadium.
Uniforms Over Time
- Primary Uniforms
         1996
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     1997
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     1998–1999
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     2000
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    2001–2002
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    2003–2004
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    2005
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     2006–2007
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     2008–2009
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     2010–2011
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    2012–2013
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  2014–2015
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     2016–2017
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     2018–2019
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     2020–2021
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   2022–2023
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     2024–
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- Alternate Uniforms
   1996
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    1997
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   1998–1999
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     2000
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  2001–2002
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    2003–2004
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    2005
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     2006–2007
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    2008–2009
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 2010–2011
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   2012–2014
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    2015–2016
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     2017–2018
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     2019–2020
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    2021–2022
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     2023–
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- Third/Special Uniforms
    2006
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     2018
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   2019
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     2021
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   2022
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     2023
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Team Culture
Mascot
FC Dallas has a fun mascot named Tex Hooper. He is a bull! The team says he was born in Frisco, Texas, on September 6, 1996.
Supporters
FC Dallas has two main fan groups: the Dallas Beer Guardians and El Matador. These groups cheer loudly for the team at games.
Rivalries
FC Dallas has a big rivalry with the Houston Dynamo. This is called the Texas Derby. The two teams play for a special trophy called El Capitan. It's a replica of a Civil War cannon. The team that wins the most games against the other in the regular season gets to keep it.
There used to be a rivalry with the Colorado Rapids. This started because of some comments from Colorado players and their wins over FC Dallas in the playoffs.
FC Dallas also plays for two other rivalry cups. The Brimstone Cup is against the Chicago Fire. This cup started in 2001. The Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup is played against Columbus Crew SC. This cup is named after Lamar Hunt, who helped start both teams. These cups are not as important now because the teams don't play each other as often.
Academy
The FC Dallas Academy is famous for training young soccer players. Many talented players have come from this academy. Some of them are Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, Jesus Ferreira, and Ricardo Pepi. In 2020, it was ranked the best academy in MLS.
Affiliated Teams
FC Dallas used to work with other soccer teams. They were linked to Oklahoma City Energy FC and Arizona United SC. They also had ties with teams in Mexico and Brazil.
In 2018, FC Dallas started its own team called North Texas SC. This team plays in USL League One, which is the third division of American soccer. FC Dallas owns and runs this team.
Sponsorship
When Toyota Stadium opened in 2005, it was first called Pizza Hut Park. In 2012, FC Dallas signed a deal with AdvoCare, a health company, to be their jersey sponsor. The stadium's name changed to FC Dallas Stadium for a short time. In 2013, Toyota became the official stadium naming rights partner, and it was renamed Toyota Stadium.
AdvoCare continued to be the jersey sponsor until 2020. In 2021, MTX Group became the new main shirt sponsor. AdvoCare then became the sleeve sponsor. In 2023, Children's Health and UT Southwestern became the new jersey sponsors.
Broadcasting Games
Television
Since 2023, you can watch every FC Dallas game on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app.
Before this, FC Dallas games were shown on local TV channels like KTXA. The team sometimes had trouble finding TV partners in the busy Dallas–Fort Worth area. In 2018, FC Dallas started its own TV network, FCDTV Network. This network showed games on local stations in different parts of Texas.
From 2013 to 2014, most games were on the Time Warner Cable Sports Channel. Fans did not like this because many people did not have that channel.
Radio
Since 2018, you can listen to English radio broadcasts of FC Dallas games on the club's website. For local TV games, the radio broadcast is the same as the TV audio. If a game is shown nationally, a radio-only broadcast is available online.
Carlos Alvarado and Rafa Calderon provide Spanish commentary on radio stations like KFLC and KFZO. Carlos Alvarado has been the play-by-play announcer since 1996.
Players and Staff
- For details on former players, see All-time FC Dallas roster.
Current Roster
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Team Management
| Coaching Staff | |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Eric Quill |
| Assistant coach |  Peter Luccin |
| Assistant coach |  John Gall |
| Assistant coach |  Kevin Martinez Gil |
| Goalkeeper coach |  Drew Keeshan |
| Head of performance | Miguel Villagrasa |
| Chief Soccer Officer Sporting Director |
 Andre Zanotta |
| Technical Director | Sandro Orlandelli |
| Director of Scouting | Leonardo Baldo |
Head Coaches Over Time
| Name | Nation | Years Coached |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Dir | United States |
1996–2000 |
| Mike Jeffries | United States |
2001–2003 |
| Colin Clarke |  Northern Ireland |
2003–2006 |
| Steve Morrow | Northern Ireland |
2006–2008 |
| Marco Ferruzzi | United States |
2008 (interim) 2021 (interim) |
| Schellas Hyndman | United States |
2008–2013 |
| Óscar Pareja |  Colombia |
2014–2018 |
| Luchi Gonzalez | United States |
2018–2021 |
| Nico Estévez | Spain |
2021–2024 |
| Peter Luccin | France |
2024 (interim) |
| Eric Quill | United States |
2024–Present |
Team Achievements
Domestic Trophies
- MLS Cup
- Second Place: 2010
- Supporters' Shield
- Winners: 2016
- Second Place: 2006, 2015
- U.S. Open Cup
- Winners: 1997, 2016
- Second Place: 2005, 2007
- Copa Tejas (Division 1)
- Winners: 2021, 2024
Continental Tournaments
- CONCACAF Champions League
- Reached Semi-finals: 2016-17
Season Records
Year-by-Year Performance
Here's a look at FC Dallas's performance in recent seasons:
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental | Average Attendance |
Top Goalscorer(s) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Diff. | Points | Points Per Game | Conf. | Overall | CCL | LC | Other(s) | Name(s) | Goals | ||||
| 2020 | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 28 | 24 | +4 | 34 | 1.55 | 6th | 11th | Quarterfinals | Not Held | Did Not Qualify | Did Not Qualify/Not Held | Did Not Qualify | 5,527 |  Franco Jara |
7 |
| 2021 | 34 | 7 | 15 | 12 | 47 | 56 | -9 | 33 | 0.91 | 11th | 23rd | Did Not Qualify | Did Not Qualify | 13,418 | Ricardo Pepi |
13 | |||
| 2022 | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 48 | 37 | +11 | 53 | 1.56 | 3rd | 7th | Quarterfinals | Round of 32 | 16,615 | Jesús Ferreira |
18 | |||
| 2023 | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 42 | 38 | +4 | 46 | 1.35 | 7th | 14th | Round 1 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | 18,287 | Jesús Ferreira |
14 | ||
| 2024 | 34 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 54 | 56 | -2 | 41 | 1.21 | 11th | 19th | Did Not Qualify | Quarterfinals | Group Stage | 19,096 |  Petar Musa |
16 | ||
1. Avg. attendance only includes numbers from league matches.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, Leagues Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and other official continental games.
MLS Scoring Champions
These players from FC Dallas have won the MLS Scoring Champion or Golden Boot award:
| Player | Season | Points / Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Kreis |
1999 | 51 |
| Jeff Cunningham |
2009 | 17 |
Top Goalscorers of All Time
- As of September 18, 2024
- Players who are still playing for the team are in bold.
| # | Name | Years Played | MLS Goals | Playoff Goals | U.S. Open Cup Goals | CCL Goals | Leagues Cup Goals | Total Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Kreis |
1996–2004 | 91 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| 2 | Jesús Ferreira |
2017–Present | 53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 55 |
| 3 | Kenny Cooper |
2006–2009 2013 |
46 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 52 |
| 4 |  Blas Pérez |
2012–2015 | 37 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| 5 |  Carlos Ruiz |
2005–2007 2016 |
32 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 42 |
| 6 | Fabián Castillo |
2011–2016 | 34 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 40 |
| 7 | Michael Barrios |
2015–2020 | 31 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 36 |
| Ariel Graziani |
1999 2000–2001 |
30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | Maximiliano Urruti |
2016–2018 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 35 |
| 10 | Jeff Cunningham |
2008–2010 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
International Games
FC Dallas has played in several international club tournaments:
- 1998 CONCACAF Cup Winners' Cup
- Played against teams from Mexico.
- 2004 La Manga Cup
- Played against teams from Norway and Ukraine.
- 2007 North American SuperLiga
- Played against teams from Mexico and other MLS teams.
- 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League
- Won against Alianza from El Salvador.
- Won against UNAM from Mexico and Toronto FC from Canada in the group stage.
- 2016–17 CONCACAF Champions League
- Won group stage games against teams from Nicaragua and Guatemala.
- Won in the Quarter-finals against Árabe Unido from Panama.
- Reached the Semi-finals but lost to Pachuca from Mexico.
- 2018 CONCACAF Champions League
- Played against Tauro F.C. from Panama.
See also
In Spanish: Football Club Dallas para niños
