{"id":428779,"date":"2026-09-07T14:16:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T14:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/428779\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T14:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T14:16:08","slug":"two-dallas-pro-soccer-teams-hope-to-cash-in-on-world-cup-glory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/428779\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Dallas pro soccer teams hope to cash in on World Cup glory"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Dallas
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCamryn Lancaster (center) is a cornerstone of Dallas Trinity FC. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Mike Brooks<\/p>\n

North Texas has seen one owner run multiple local pro sports franchises before. Tom Hicks, perhaps infamously, owned both the Texas Rangers and Dallas Stars <\/a>for years as the \u201890s rolled into the current millennium. But it\u2019s even more rare to see one owner for two pro teams playing the same sport around these parts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what USL Dallas is up to these days after the group that already owns the nascent Atletico Dallas bought Dallas Trinity FC,<\/a> the women\u2019s team that has played at the Cotton Bowl since 2024. Atletico\u2019s founder and chairman, Matt Valentine, explained that the dual-ownership arrangement had been discussed early in 2026, but it took some time for things to start coming together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn May [Trinity FC] was at a valuation and structure that made a lot of sense for us,\u201d he said. \u201cSo we jumped at the chance.\u201d Running both clubs together, he explained, allows the organization to cut overlapping costs and build shared marketing muscle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But Atletico\u2019s senior team hasn\u2019t started competing yet. That\u2019ll happen in early 2027 when the club finally begins playing in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship, the second tier of the American soccer league system. (Major League Soccer <\/a>is the top tier.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

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On the women\u2019s side, Trinity is further along in its history, having just started its third season. Valentine was candid that the club \u2014 and the USL Super League it competes in \u2014 still has a long way to go in terms of commercial power and awareness compared to the more established National Women\u2019s Soccer League.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still getting our legs. The league is still getting its legs under it,\u201d he said, noting Trinity FC has reached the playoff semifinals in both of its seasons, although that hasn\u2019t yet translated that success into a crowded Cotton Bowl. So, for a team and a league without a massive television contract or marquee names, the club\u2019s request is simple: if you\u2019re a soccer fan, show up.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to have a women\u2019s professional sports team thrive in Dallas without buying tickets, it can\u2019t last,\u201d Valentine said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s club, even without playing any matches yet, made a major splash with the signing of Mexican soccer legend Javier \u201cChicharito\u201d Hernandez, announced just after the wildly popular World Cup ended in July. The addition was official in March, but Valentine said the announcement was timed to capitalize on Hernandez\u2019s broadcasting role with Fox during the World Cup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHis agent really [pushed] us to hold off and thought his profile would be even bigger after the World Cup, which it was,\u201d Valentine said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The announcement immediately caught fire and generated roughly 3.5 billion media impressions within days, according to Valentine. Hernandez has starred for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Manchester United, scoring over 150 goals in a 20-year club career that has taken him from Mexico to England, Germany and America. Also, thanks to more than 50 goals for the Mexico National Men\u2019s Team, he\u2019s nothing short of a soccer god to millions of fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea8\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfd EXCL: Javier Chicharito Hern\u00e1ndez has agreed to join Atl\u00e9tico Dallas, first signing ever for new USL Championship side.<\/p>\n

Chicharito will start playing from 2027 but will be contributing to the project immediately.<\/p>\n

38 year old striker, set for new chapter. \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 pic.twitter.com\/NfAk5ULpU0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Beyond the impressive marketing numbers, though, he framed the signing as part of a broader strategy to lean into North Texas\u2019 Hispanic soccer community. Like Dallas Trinity FC, Atletico will play its home games at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, bringing regularly scheduled men\u2019s soccer to the classic stadium for the first time since 2005, when the Dallas Burn became FC Dallas in Frisco.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Affordability is a top concern when it comes to attending sporting events these days. Some of the biggest headlines of the World Cup<\/a> involved the astronomical ticket prices, higher-than-normal concession prices and outrageous hotel rates. Going to a Dallas Cowboys game? That\u2019ll cost as much, or more in some cases, than a ticket to the game might. Valentine is hoping that is where Atletico and Trinity FC can find a way into the hearts and wallets of local sports fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Valentine said average tickets run between $25 and $28, with entry as low as $18, through a provider that charges no added fees. Team jerseys sell for $95 \u2014 the same jersey players wear, not a replica \u2014 compared to around $160 for an MLS authentic jersey. Parking has been reduced to under $15, and concession prices at the Cotton Bowl have dropped by roughly 45% after pressure from the club.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The teams hope that a good value and a competitive product on the field will increase awareness and lead to a sustainable run for years to come. Valentine said he regularly meets people living in the so-called \u201c635 loop,\u201d who aren\u2019t even familiar with FC Dallas, let alone Dallas Trinity FC or Atletico Dallas. He\u2019s worked up something of an elevator pitch to try and clarify things in a pinch, which isn\u2019t easy when you start trying to explain multiple levels of professional soccer in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The team chairman enjoyed the World Cup over the summer like so many others, and he was certainly encouraged by the buzz signing Chicharito generated, but he\u2019s not worried about capitalizing on next year\u2019s women\u2019s World Cup in Brazil to gin up interest in Trinity FC. He\u2019s looking ahead to 2031, when the women\u2019s tournament will be in the United States. That\u2019s a good sign for anyone wondering if Valentine\u2019s teams are here to stay.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve got four years to get strong footing underneath us to capitalize on that moment,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s really, to me, what will catapult this and just the league in general across the national landscape. You know, the \u201827 [women\u2019s] World Cup definitely will give us a bump and it will create more casual fans; then there\u2019s having the World Cup in your home country. I\u2019m really looking to that as a big benchmark for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

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