Atlético Dallas invites you to join us on this journey to bring professional soccer to North Texas. Together, we are building a community-focused club from the ground up to connect with this thriving base of soccer fans and players of all ages. Our goal is to cultivate a love for professional soccer by supporting the local sports community, empowering youth, and making the sport accessible to all.
We will kick off our inaugural USL Championship season in early 2027, shortly after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nine tournament matches will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, bringing a heightened focus on soccer to the region.
ABOUT USL CHAMPIONSHIP
The top tier for men in the United Soccer League (USL) is the USL Championship, sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation as a Division II professional league. The Championship includes 24 clubs across the United States with more than half a dozen expansion teams in development. It is one of the most successful professional soccer leagues in the world, reaching a population of more than 84 million and fueling the growth of the game across North America.
USL Championship clubs welcomed over 2 million fans into their stadiums in overall total league attendance in 2024, with average attendance coming in at over 5,500 per match.
The USL Championship has national media partnerships with both ESPN and CBS, showcasing matches across CBS, CBS Sports Network, CBS Sports’ 24-7 soccer fast channel Golazo Network, ESPN linear networks, and ESPN+. The League also operates USL Productions, which includes a state-of-the-art facility that produces more than 600 matches and 1,200 hours of live content for local, national, and international partners, making the USL the most widely accessible soccer league in the United States.
FAQ
Atlético Dallas is the newest expansion team of the United Soccer League (USL) – the largest and fastest-growing professional soccer ecosystem in North America and one of the most successful professional soccer leagues in the world.
Atlético Dallas is currently scheduled to premiere as part of the USL Championship, sanctioned as a Division II team by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Recently, USL announced its intention to create a Division I group. We will know more about this and which division we will compete in as we get closer to our start date.
The USL recently revealed plans to begin promotion and relegation, a historic first for American sports. It is unclear yet when that will begin, but we will share news as it develops.
Atlético Dallas is proud to call the historic Cotton Bowl our home stadium, giving fans a centric, iconic venue to support the team. Cotton Bowl Stadium is located at 3750 The Midway, Dallas, TX 75215 inside Fair Park.
Atlético Dallas will begin play in the USL Championship in early 2027. The season runs March through November each year.
Atlético Dallas will recruit coaches, technical staff and players beginning in 2026. The team plans to host some open tryout opportunities. All recruitment and tryout information will be posted broadly in the media and across our social channels when we are ready.
The team was founded by lifelong friends and soccer enthusiasts Matt Valentine and Sam Morton, along with their close business partners and friends, Luther Ott and Dan McAlone. They recently added Terrence Murphy and Kyle Martino to their ownership circle. Their goal is to cultivate a deep love of professional soccer within the community and make the game accessible to all fans and athletes at every age and skill level.
The best thing about professional soccer is the passion of the fans. Currently there is a group call Lunaticos Azules (Blue Lunatics) that is acting as an early supporter group. Visit their LinkTree page to find them on Instagram, X, TikTok and Discord for more information on how to get involved!
Sign up for team messages, visit our website, and connect on our social media channels. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, X / Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube.
