Youth Soccer
Youth Soccer
Not only is Dallas home to the second largest youth soccer organization in the country, but it also serves as host to numerous youth soccer tournaments and other events that typically draw hundreds of teams and thousands of young athletes and their families to the region every weekend.
Dallas Cup receives the most headlines, and for great reason. Since 1980 it has been this country’s most prestigious youth soccer event. It’s become so massive that it utilizes most of the local soccer facilities for the weeklong event. But Dallas Cup is far from the only local youth soccer presence. The Dallas area is home to US Youth Soccer, the largest National Association member of US Soccer. Also located here is the headquarters for the North Texas State Soccer Association, one of the largest State Associations in US Soccer, for both youth and adult amateur players. And recently, Dallas added another major youth soccer tournament when it hosted the Generation Adidas Cup, a newly formed U15 tournament featuring MLS and Liga MX clubs.
North Texas also boasts numerous universities with soccer programs that show the far-reaching capabilities of the soccer community within North Texas. Dallas Baptist University, Southern Methodist University, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, Texas Women’s University, The University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of Dallas all field strong soccer programs in the North Texas area.
Developing The Next Generation
- Toyota Soccer Complex in Frisco includes 17 fields, and on most weekends during the year those field will be filled with youth soccer matches from morning until night
- MoneyGram Park in Dallas also hosts thousands of youth soccer teams throughout the year on its 19 event fields
- The FC Dallas Youth Select Program contains more than 2,500 boys and girls ages U7 through U19
Dallas Cup
Every Easter week, Dallas Cup, the most prestigious youth soccer tournament in the U.S. and one of the top annual youth soccer tournaments across the globe, opens its arms to the soccer world. And each year it gets bigger, as youth teams and clubs from around the world descend on Dallas to participate in one of the most competitive tournaments in all of youth soccer. The tournament traditionally consists of approximately 40% international teams, 40% American teams outside of Dallas, and 20% Dallas-area teams. Each year more than 100,000 spectators watch teams from all over the world compete for the coveted Boot and Ball trophy.
As the elite youth soccer tournament in the country, Dallas Cup makes a tremendous impact on the local region each year. In addition to the economic impact, Dallas-area residents are able to witness some of the top amateur soccer players in the world before they become stars. Based on the event’s history, during any given year fans who attend Dallas Cup matches figure to be watching future World Cup stars in action.
2019 Dallas Cup Stats
- Since 1990 over 100 Dallas Cup alumni, representing 16 countries, have played in more than 500 World Cup™ matches
- In the past two FIFA World Cups™, one out of every eleven goal scorers were a Dallas Cup alumnus
- Since 2002, Dallas Cup alumni have been awarded 25 “Man of the Match” selections at the FIFA World Cup™, including the likes of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, among others
- The 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia featured the first Dallas Cup alum to score in a World Cup™ final, when Croatia’s Ivan Perisic netted a goal against France
Before They Were Stars
Looking back at the worldwide soccer superstars who made their way through Dallas to take part in Dallas Cup, it’s amazing to imagine just who graced the fields at Cotton Bowl Stadium, MoneyGram Soccer Park, Toyota Stadium, and other facilities hosting Dallas Cup matches. Just a few of those names include Wayne Rooney, Paxton Pomykal, Omar Gonzalez, Raul, Michael Owen, Michael Bradley, Freddy Adu, Guiseppe Rossi, Jesse Lingard, Jonathan Dos Santos, Junihio, Kieran Trippier, LAndon Donovan, Edmilson, David Beckham, Clint Dempsey, Chicharito, Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Guardado, Adnan Januzaj, and Adam Lallana.