The 2026 World Cup has concluded which means FC Dallas is finally ready to resume the MLS season. Dallas returns to play this Wednesday, July 22 on the road against the Portland Timbers – who are coming off an astounding 5-1 win over arch rivals Seattle Sounders last week.
Before Dallas takes the field for the first time since May, let’s get caught up on the first half of the ’26 season as well as how the team is taking shape ahead of the Portland trip. We’ll cover the club’s summer friendlies, player availability/updates and the upcoming schedule.
Here we go!
The Campaign So Far
FC Dallas currently resides in fifth place in the Western Conference (fourth during the World Cup break before LAFC's win last week) with 7-4-4 record and +8 goal difference. Second-year head coach Eric Quill led the team to a strong start that included three wins and just one loss from the first six games, while facing a gauntlet of an opening schedule that featured Nashville SC (top of the East), LAFC away and San Diego FC (who had won three out of three to start the year). Still, similar to the 2025 campaign, the club’s home form left something to be desired. Dallas was held to back-to-back draws at Toyota Stadium against St. Louis and LA Galaxy before falling to Minnesota 1-0 for its first home defeat of the season. Still, FCD picked themselves up and rattled off four wins out of five – including 9 points on the road – to close out the first half of the 2026 schedule.
Individually, forward Petar Musa has been the undeniable star of the show. The big Croatian is second in the MLS Golden Boot race with 12 goals – plus two assists – in just 13 appearances so far. His form earned him a place in Croatia’s World Cup squad (where he went on to score against England) as well as the second MLS All-Star nod of his career. His striker partner Logan Farrington is also enjoying a career season with six goals and four assists to his name. Together, the “Perfect Pairrington” have accounted for over half of FCD’s goals this season and the team ranks as the conference’s third most prolific attack.
Summer Friendlies
Dallas played three tune-up games in July to prepare for the second half of the MLS season: a 5-0 victory over USL Championship side Oakland Roots, a 2-1 win over San Jose Earthquakes, and a 2-1 loss to Orlando City SC at North Texas SC’s new home in Mansfield. The game against the Roots featured five different goal scorers: Caleb Swann, Ran Binyamin, Sebastien Ibeagha, Christian Cappis, and Logan Farrington – who also found the net against the Earthquakes, alongside Sam Sarver. Winger Santi Moreno was Dallas' lone goal scorer in the loss to Orlando City. For the most part, Quill fielded the team in the 4-4-2 formation we saw in the last few matches preceding the World Cup break.
Player Availability
The two-month World Cup break saw some important returns for FC Dallas. Ecuadorian forward Anderson Julio, who suffered a knee injury in training after logging 27 minutes across the opening two games of the season, is healthy once again and featured as a second-half substitute against Orlando City, where he assisted on Moreno’s late-game goal. Similarly, wingback Bernard Kamungo has returned from a long-term muscle injury and is fit and available for Dallas’ trip to Portland. Kamungo began the season as Quill’s first-choice left wingback until his injury partly contributed to a formation change that saw the team transition from a 3-5-2 shape to a 4-4-2 hybrid.
On the other hand, Dallas will be without captain Ramiro who suffered a foot injury in the preseason friendly against San Jose and will likely be sidelined for a few weeks. In a similar vein, winger Don Deedson Loucious is unavailable with a groin injury picked up shortly after returning from World Cup duty with Haiti. Although not injury related, Petar Musa didn’t take part in any of the tune-up games and has only recently returned to team training after he was given an extended break due to his World Cup exploits with Croatia.
Dallas will also return to play with a new face among the ranks. The club added Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel in a trade with San Jose Earthquakes (for up to 1 million in General Allocation Money) to bolster the GK room of Michael Collodi and Jonathan Sirois. Daniel, a 32-year-old veteran with three-and-a-half MLS seasons under his belt, started FCD’s final two friendlies, indicating he could be in line for a start against Portland on Wednesday.
Upcoming Schedule
The second half of 2026 is somehow both a marathon and a sprint. With an additional three Leagues Cup games in August, FC Dallas will play 22 matches (including five midweek outings) over the next three-and-a-half months – averaging a game every five days. And it’s not just the quantity of matches. Dallas’ travel schedule is almost unheard of in MLS terms. Due to the ongoing construction at Toyota Stadium, the team’s next seven league games are away from home and two of its Leagues Cup games will also be on the road – in San Jose vs. Chivas and in Mexico vs. Toluca. The club’s one “home” game during August will take place at the home of North Texas SC at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium.
With 10 straight games in unfamiliar abodes, Eric Quill’s road dawgs are set for their sternest test yet. They’ll look to start off on the right foot on Wednesday, July 22 at Providence Park against the Portland Timbers. As always, tune into Apple TV to catch allllll the action.
FC Dallas vs. Portland Timbers
Come cheer on FC Dallas at The Derbyshire as they take on the Portland Timbers on Wednesday, July 22 at 9:30 p.m.
