The 2025 season is FC Dallas and MLS’s 30th campaign since the league was introduced in 1996. As one of the league’s original clubs, FC Dallas will honor its 30th season by looking back at 30 top moments from the past three decades.
Together, we’ll review five top moments in the following six categories: goals, rivalry moments, landmark moments, community moments, players, and kits. The five top moments from each category will be released once a month from March to August, and you will have the opportunity to vote for your favorite.
Without further ado, here are five of the club’s best goals from the last 30 years.
Hugo Sánchez vs. San Jose Clash | 1996
We’ll start off with a trademark bicycle kick from Mexican legend Hugo Sánchez. It’s fitting we begin this list with Sanchez as he was the very first player allocated to the Dallas Burn (FC Dallas’ original name) before the inaugural MLS season. A longtime Real Madrid striker, Sánchez was nearing the end of his illustrious career when he joined the Burn and only scored eight goals, none of them better than this acrobatic effort against the San Jose Clash at the Cotton Bowl. Although his stay in Dallas was short, Sánchez’s star power helped bring some much-needed credibility to the fledgling league and franchise.
Carlos Ruiz vs. D.C. United | 2005
Next up is another eye-catching bicycle kick, this time by forward Carlos Ruiz. The Guatemalan striker – who won MLS MVP in 2002 during his time with LA Galaxy – joined Dallas in 2005 and scored double-digit goals in his first two seasons. Ruiz’s bicycle kick against D.C. United (and legendary MLS ‘keeper Nick Rimando) was later named MLS Goal of the Decade in 2006.
Kenny Cooper vs. Chicago Fire | 2009
Kenny Cooper is another legendary name around these parts. A Dallas native, Cooper joined FCD in 2006 from Manchester United and went on to score 49 goals for the club across all competitions. Among his best was this 65-yard rocket against Chicago Fire in the opening game of the 2009 season. It was the club’s first goal of the campaign and – as the broadcast team noted – an immediate Goal of the Year contender.
Brek Shea vs. Toronto FC | 2011
Another Texas native joins Cooper on this list. Brek Shea, the second-overall selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, played five seasons in Dallas and none were better than his 2011 campaign. The College Station, Texas product was an MLS MVP candidate that year thanks to a number of breathtaking goals, including this left-footed strike into the top corner from 30 yards (after beating two players on the dribble).
Maxi Urruti vs. Chicago Fire | 2016
Our final goal via Maxi Urruti is a little different because it’s actually more about the assist from Fabian Castillo that created it. The move begins with Castillo cornered by two defenders on the left wing. Instead of going by them, he flicked the ball over both their heads and ran between them to collect it. Then a yard from the end line, Castillo foregoes crossing with his left foot and instead uses a rabona (using your opposite foot to kick the ball behind your plant foot) to cross to Urruti to head home. The goal was one of many in 2016 that helped FC Dallas win the MLS Supporters’ Shield for the best regular season record.
Top Moments in FC Dallas History
FC Dallas celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2025. Vote on your favorite moments at fcdallas.com/30