Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, founded in 1995 and competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference since 1996. The franchise began as the Dallas Burn before adopting its current name in 2004. Since 2005, the club has played at the 20,500-capacity Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The team is owned by the Hunt Sports Group and has achieved notable success including winning the Supporters' Shield in 2016, reaching the MLS Cup final in 2010, and capturing the U.S. Open Cup twice (1997 and 2016). The club is particularly renowned for its academy system, which has produced several players who have gone on to feature for European clubs and the United States men's national soccer team.
History
Overview
General information about the club
FC Dallas competes in Major League Soccer as a charter member of the Western Conference. The franchise was awarded on June 6, 1995, alongside Kansas City and Colorado. Originally named the Dallas Burn, the team was rebranded as FC Dallas in 2004 to coincide with their move to a new soccer-specific stadium. The club is owned by the Hunt Sports Group, led by brothers Clark Hunt and Dan Hunt, who also own the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and part of the Chicago Bulls.
Most recent season and achievements
The club's academy is reputed for its player development, having produced several players including Weston McKennie, Reggie Cannon, Ricardo Pepi, and Chris Richards who have gone on to feature for European clubs and the United States men's national soccer team. The International Federation of Football History & Statistics placed FC Dallas as the 190th best club in the world and the ninth best club in CONCACAF in their 2016 rankings.
History
Early years
Dallas was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise on June 6, 1995. The team was named for the burning in the Texan oilfields and the state's hot weather. Former Mexico international Hugo Sánchez was designated as their first player on October 17, 1995. Initially not attracting investors, the Burn was financed by the league itself.
On April 14, 1996, the Dallas Burn played their first game, defeating the San Jose Clash in a shootout win in front of 27,779 fans at the Cotton Bowl. Jason Kreis scored the team's first goal five days later in a 3–0 home win over the Wiz. The Burn finished second in the Western Conference with a 17–15 record but lost in the playoff semi-finals. In 1997, they won their first U.S. Open Cup by defeating MLS Cup champions D.C. United. In 1999, striker Kreis was voted the league's MVP for a season in which he became the first player to reach 15 goals and 15 assists.
Successful period
Under head coach Mike Jeffries, who joined in January 2001 after winning the 1998 MLS Cup with the Chicago Fire, Dallas continued to make playoff appearances. However, the team struggled with consistency, missing the playoffs for the first time in 2003 after relocating temporarily to Dragon Stadium in Southlake due to unfavorable lease terms at the Cotton Bowl.
Crisis and recovery
For the 2004 season, Colin Clarke was named permanent coach and the team returned to the Cotton Bowl, though they again missed the playoffs. In August, club owner Lamar Hunt announced the club would be re-branded as "FC Dallas" to coincide with their new soccer-specific stadium in Frisco for the 2005 season.
Current period
In March 2005, FC Dallas signed Guatemalan forward Carlos Ruiz. On August 6, FC Dallas played their inaugural game at Pizza Hut Park, tying the New York/New Jersey MetroStars 2–2. The team returned to the playoffs, losing in the conference semi-finals to Colorado in a penalty shootout.
In 2010, Dallas reached the MLS Cup for the first time, losing 2–1 after extra time to Colorado at BMO Field in Toronto. Colombian midfielder David Ferreira was voted the league's MVP, and Schellas Hyndman won the MLS Coach of the Year Award.
Óscar Pareja was confirmed as head coach in 2014, leading the club back to the playoffs and to first place in the Western Conference in 2015. In 2016, the club won their first Supporters' Shield and second U.S. Open Cup, achieving their first double.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
FC Dallas has won the Supporters' Shield once (2016) and finished as runners-up twice (2006, 2015). The club reached the MLS Cup final once as runners-up in 2010. They have won the Western Conference regular season three times (2006, 2015, 2016) and the Western Conference playoffs once (2010). The team has captured the U.S. Open Cup twice (1997, 2016) and finished as runners-up twice (2005, 2007). They have also won the Copa Tejas twice (2021, 2024).
Continental and global competitions
FC Dallas has participated in the CONCACAF Champions League multiple times, with their best performance reaching the semi-finals in 2016–17, where they were eliminated by Pachuca. In the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, they became the first MLS team to win an away match against a Mexican team when Marvin Chávez's goal defeated UNAM at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
Originally, the Dallas Burn played in a predominantly red-and-black color scheme with a logo featuring a fire-breathing black mustang behind a stylized red "Burn" wordmark. The team re-branded as FC Dallas in 2005, changing to a color scheme of red, white, silver, and blue with a club badge featuring a bull replacing the mustang.
Traditional home and away kits colors
The current colors are officially listed as Republic Red, Lonestar White, Bovine Blue, and Shawnee Silver. The uniform design features horizontally hooped stripes. Red remained as a primary color in home uniforms, with blue becoming a primary color of away uniforms. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the hoops were a different shade of red rather than contrasting white. The jersey incorporated the motto "Dallas 'Til I Die" on the inside of the collar and the initials "LH" on the back for Lamar Hunt.
Traditional club anthem
During a period where MLS created songs for each club, the team anthem was "H-O-O-P-S Yes!" performed by Dallas natives The Polyphonic Spree, a choral symphonic rock group.
Traditional Rivals
Houston Dynamo
FC Dallas' main rival is the Houston Dynamo in the Texas Derby. The two teams reside in the same state and compete for El Capitan, a working replica Civil War cannon that goes to the regular season victor.
Colorado Rapids
Animosity grew between fans and players of FC Dallas and the Colorado Rapids, mainly sparking from Colorado players' comments towards the fans and Colorado's victories over FC Dallas in the 2005 and 2006 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Chicago Fire
The Brimstone Cup against the Chicago Fire, so named for the allusions to fire in both teams' names when FC Dallas was the Dallas Burn, was inaugurated by the fans in 2001.
Columbus Crew SC
The Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup has been contested against Columbus Crew SC since 2007, named after Lamar Hunt who was an investor in both teams.
Austin FC
The burgeoning Copa Tejas rivalry has enhanced the club's rivalry with Austin FC. The two have played one playoff match in 2022, which Austin won.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
In 2005, Pizza Hut was the title sponsor of the club's stadium. In 2012, FC Dallas reached a three-year sponsorship deal with AdvoCare worth $7.5M. In 2013, FC Dallas reached a long-term deal with Toyota for stadium naming rights. In February 2021, FC Dallas announced MTX Group as its new shirt sponsor. In January 2023, FC Dallas announced a sponsorship deal with Children's Health and UT Southwestern as new jersey sponsors.
Nicknames
The club is commonly referred to as "the Toros" due to their bull logo and branding.
Ownership and finances
The team is owned by the Hunt Sports Group led by brothers Clark Hunt and Dan Hunt, who is the team's president. The Hunt family also owns the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and part of the Chicago Bulls.
Traditions and culture
The mascot of FC Dallas is a bull named Tex Hooper, whose fictional biography states he was born on September 6, 1996, in Frisco, Texas. FC Dallas has two recognized supporters groups: Dallas Beer Guardians and El Matador. The FC Dallas Academy has been ranked the number one academy in MLS and has produced talent including Weston McKennie, Chris Richards, and Ricardo Pepi.
Stadium
FC Dallas has had three different home stadiums in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. From its foundation, the team played in the 92,100-capacity Cotton Bowl in Dallas. In 2003, the club played at Dragon Stadium, a high school stadium in Southlake, before returning to the Cotton Bowl for 2004. In August 2005, the club moved to Toyota Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium in Frisco with a capacity of 20,500. The stadium's south end was extensively remodeled in 2018, including a new home for the National Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2025, construction began on a $182 million redevelopment scheduled for completion before the 2028 season.