USA-World Cup Pipeline Runs Through FC Dallas If you want to know who will play int he next World Cup, you might want to check out the pro club in Frisco. BY KELLY DEARMORE W e’re here to discuss the 2026 FIFA World Cup U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT), but let’s back up a bit first. Soccer fans from North Texas may recall the American squad that played in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup had a strong Dallas presence. Jesus Fer- reira, Walker Zimmerman, Shaq Moore and Kellyn Acosta were but a few of the North Texas-connected talents that repped the Stars and Stripes. If you are wondering whether or not this year’s men’s team will also have a distinct North Texas vibe, rest assured, it will. In fact, it’ll have several players that have spent time playing for FC Dallas or the acclaimed FC Dallas youth acad- emy who were not a part of the 2022 World Cup squad, a sign that the talent pool around here is deep. “This isn’t just the result of something in the water in Texas,” Fox soccer analyst and U.S. national team legend Alexi Lalas told Texas Monthly prior to the 2022 tournament. “The Dallas area, spe- cifically, is just teeming with talent, and FC Dallas has leaned into de- veloping that talent really well for many years now.” And to be clear, not everyone on the USMNT is some kid born and raised in the suburbs. It’s perhaps slightly more complicated, but for the most part, to be eligible for the USMNT, a player more or less only needs to be eligible for an American passport, so there are players with an array of family histories and heritages on the American squad. For added Dallas flavor, a pair of FC Dallas players will be wearing the kits of their non-U.S. countries in the World Cup as well, with Petar Musa being called up to Croatia’s always stout national team and Deedson Louicius getting the nod from his home of Haiti. Take a look below at the names with Dallas con- nections that will, and we think should, play for the Red, White and Blue this year. Chris Richards Before May 17, Chris Richards was among the few absolute no-brainer picks for the 2026 squad. But that night, the 26-year-old cen- ter-back who played two seasons as a teen in the FC Dallas youth system before heading to Germany to play in 2019, tore a pair of ligaments in his ankle. The damage was reportedly minor enough to still be named to the final squad by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, but such a scare so close to the tournament is never minor. Like fellow coun- trymen Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun, Richards has made a sizable splash in Europe, so for fans from North Texas and beyond, not hav- ing the reigning USMNT player of the year not suiting up is too much to bear. Weston McKennie Aside from Pulisic, Little Elm native Weston McKennie might be the biggest global name regularly on the USMNT roster. After spending a couple of years in the FC Dallas youth system, McKennie left for Germany just before Richards did, where he spent four years before making the major jump to join Juventus in Italy, one of the world’s chief superpower clubs. After some early turbulence with the club, McKennie has come to TANNER TESSMAN WAS ARGUABLY THE BIGGEST SNUB WHEN THE U.S. ROSTER WAS ANNOUNCED. GETTY IMAGES ALEX ZENDEJAS (RIGHT) HAS MADE THE MOST OF HIS TIME SINCE LEAVING FC DALLAS. GETTY IMAGES 12 DALLAS OBSERVER • QUEST FOR THE CUP
