Mike Brooks
Audio By Carbonatix
February is an odd time to be a pro sports fan in North Texas, and that especially goes for this year. The Dallas Cowboys failed again to give us any playoff action, the Dallas Mavericks are still reeling from the disaster that began last February, and we’re still a month away from the Texas Rangers, who have done little to improve the roster that missed the playoffs last year, outside of adding a promising new pitcher, opening their new season.
At least, the Dallas Stars of the NHL, currently on break during the Winter Olympics, are having another successful regular season.
But there’s another local pro team that’s coming off a recent playoff appearance. And that squad, FC Dallas of Major League Soccer, will begin a new season on Saturday. And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to North America soon, why not get into the local futbol club if you’re not already?
Intriguingly, the Eric Quill-led club started the 2025 season in the not-so-promising group of local teams. The team had missed the playoffs the season before and got off to a slow start under the first-year head coach, then rallied to make the playoffs, where FC Dallas lost to Vancouver in the first round.
Regardless of the early playoff exit, the 2025 season was one of those rare years where fans had every reason to be happy that the club simply made it to the playoffs. But that sort of moral victory often, and rightfully so, leads to renewed optimism and higher expectations. Thanks to a heavily re-worked roster that did not involve the departure of star Croatian striker Petar Musa, Quill and crew will have little excuse not to improve upon last year’s pleasant surprise.
Will FC Dallas Be Any Good in 2026?
The answer to this question depends on your definition of good, it seems. Does good equal simply making the playoffs? Then, we think they could very well be that. But if your expectation is the team making a deep run past the first round of the playoffs, we’re not ready to go that far just yet.
As mentioned above, keeping Musa on the roster, and more importantly, on the pitch, gives FC Dallas its best chance to make it back into the playoffs. Some league observers worry that the team’s strong 2025 finish was the result of Dallas primarily beating up on non-competitive teams. Additionally, those same observers and experts seem to be putting the local fellows in the middle of the pack or even lower in some cases when making predictions for 2026.
The Athletic has FC Dallas at No. 22 in its preseason power rankings, and top oddsmakers and sportsbooks currently have FC Dallas at +5,000 to win the MLS championship, which is a lot better than the +8,000 given to New England, but it’s not exactly close to the +450 for Inter Miami CF.
What Did FC Dallas Do in the Offseason?
There’s not much that a fan hates more than when their favorite team sits still in the offseason, something that FC Dallas has certainly been accused of in the past. But the 2026 roster is indeed a different look from the one that started the 2025 season. Perhaps the two biggest moves were the departures of goalie Maarten Paes, now playing for Ajax in the Netherlands, and Paxton Pomykal, the homegrown talent who was released this week after too many injuries wrecked what was once a promising career.
The biggest addition to the club is Swedish midfielder Herman Johansson, who signed with Dallas in December. An exciting 28-year-old with scoring ability, Johansson has also recently seen time with Sweden’s national team.
Will FC Dallas Play Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF in 2026?
There are no regular-season games scheduled between FC Dallas and Messi’s Miami club, which isn’t a surprise as the teams play in opposite conferences. The first time Messi played against FC Dallas was during the Leagues Cup in 2023, something that could happen again, at least depending on how the tournament draw unfolds. Other than that, local fans will have to hope both teams make it to the MLS Championship, something Miami did last year when they won their first league title.
Aside from Messi, however, FC Dallas will face both Son Heung-min and LAFC as well as Thomas Muller and the Vancouver Whitecaps on multiple occasions. LAFC will play in Frisco on Sept. 26, and Vancouver visits North Texas on May 13. Both international stars are modern soccer legends who have built their reputations on the biggest stages, from World Cup success to dominance in England’s and Germany’s top leagues.
How Can I Watch FC Dallas on TV?
Like many other pro leagues, MLS has eschewed traditional broadcast TV in recent years. Since 2023, MLS matches have been available almost exclusively on Apple TV+, with a select few on Fox Sports. For the first three years of the agreement, viewers paid around $100 for a season pass, but starting this year, anyone with an Apple TV+ subscription at its regular rate can watch any MLS match and a range of related content.
