Can FC Dallas turn into the Cinderella story of Leagues Cup 2026?
They made their latest case on Saturday night, stunning historic LIGA MX side Chivas de Guadalajara, 1-0, at PayPal Park behind Logan Farrington’s 73rd-minute strike.
The milestone result made it two straight wins in the tournament, greatly boosting their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
“Results like this give FC Dallas immense pride, our fanbase pride. And also respect,” head coach Eric Quill told reporters post-match. “We’re not a finished version of ourselves; we want to keep growing and getting better.
“But a win like this against a historic club like Chivas is something that we’re gonna take a lot of pride in, and hopefully it gives us belief.”
Two wins in two games
Belief has grown for Dallas with each Leagues Cup performance.
Before Saturday’s upset, the Texas club topped Querétaro, 2-0, in their Phase One opener.
Dallas are one of just two MLS sides that haven’t conceded a goal after at least two Phase One games, along with Charlotte FC, thanks to two straight clean sheets from goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois.
“It’s amazing. Our club is celebrating tonight. It’s a massive win, a historic club in Chivas,” said Quill.
“They’ve [Chivas] been a powerhouse for decades. And that can be overwhelming to a team like ours. And it wasn’t tonight.”
Toluca trip on tap
As impressive as FC Dallas have been thus far, their toughest test awaits in Wednesday’s Phase One finale at the mighty Toluca (10 pm ET | Apple TV).
Another historic result at Estadio Nemesio Díez would all but secure passage to the quarterfinals.
"We're about to go to Toluca, so we're gonna be in a similar environment [as Saturday night]. Obviously, not the altitude," said Quill.
"But it was a good exercise to take on, given what's coming to us in a few days."
