FC Dallas will open its 2023 Major League Soccer season next month at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, and the club's leadership says it hopes to build on last year's success. In 2022, FC Dallas won a home playoff match against Minnesota United before losing to Austin FC.
"These are projects. It doesn't just happen overnight," says FC Dallas President Dan Hunt. "You don't go from not making the playoffs to winning a championship. We took that first big step last season."
Hunt says the club has worked to bolster its roster during the offseason. He says FC Dallas had the most sellouts in team history last year, and even more season tickets have been sold this year.
"2023 looks to be a fabulous season for FC Dallas and a great lead-up to World Cup 2026," Hunt says.
Hunt attended the World Cup in Qatar in November and December. He chaired Dallas' bid for the 2026 World Cup.
North America has been chosen for the 2026 World Cup. Matches will be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Hunt says FIFA will soon audit venues in North Texas as it begins site selections.
"FC Dallas is going to play a major role in helping the City of Dallas and the greater community pull off this event," he says.
The Dallas World Cup bid committee hopes to win the finals at AT&T Stadium. The committee has said DFW Airport provides easy access to cities around the world. The committee has said the region has enough hotels to accommodate large crowds.
With Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair Park, Choctaw Stadium and Globe Life Field in Arlington, and college football stadiums at SMU, TCU and UNT, the bid committee says North Texas also has adequate facilities for training and matches.
"We're obviously chasing to have the final or semi-final here. We're chasing to have their offices here, the international broadcast center here," Hunt says.
Hunt says FC Dallas is continually making improvements to Toyota Stadium. He says the club is working to host at least one visiting national team at the stadium, but he says FC Dallas hopes to continue attracting other businesses to the area near West Main Street and Dallas North Tollway regardless of the World Cup.
"One of my father's life lessons was, 'take care of your stadium, and it will take care of you,'" Hunt says. "It's not just about the stadium, it's about the ground we have around to make us even more of a hub."
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up and Follow NewsRadio 1080 KRLD