5 Best FC Dallas MLS Players, Ranked

FC Dallas is one of Major League Soccer’s 10 original charter clubs, beginning play as the Dallas Burn in 1996.

Despite its long history, the club has yet to pay off bettors who have wagered on its MLS odds. However, Dallas has picked up two U.S. Open Cup titles (1997 and 2016) and also claimed the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2016.

Given their success, it’s no surprise that the double-winning side is well represented in my list of the five best FC Dallas players of all time.

5 Best FC Dallas MLS Players, Ranked

FC Dallas All-Time Greatest Players

1. Jason Kreis

Younger MLS fans will remember Kreis as a coach, having led Real Salt Lake to the MLS Cup in 2009 before further touchline stints with New York City FC and Orlando City. 

However, the Omaha, Nebraska, native was a natural finisher in his playing days and still holds the FC Dallas scoring record with 91 goals in MLS play.

Kreis helped Dallas to its first trophy in 1997, converting a penalty kick in a shootout win over D.C. United in the Open Cup final. He was also a three-time All-Star in his nine seasons with the club. 

His top MLS campaign came two years later, when he scored 18 goals and dished out 15 assists in 32 matches, earning the Golden Boot and league MVP honours.

2. Matt Hedges

Hedges is FC Dallas’ greatest servant, having made a club-record 349 appearances across all competitions across 11 seasons.

The 6-foot-4 centre back anchored the defence in Dallas’ 2016 double-winning campaign, earning him inclusion in the MLS Best XI as well as Defender of the Year honours. Hedges was a three-time All-Star during his time with the club.

3. Oscar Pareja 

The Colombian midfielder recorded more than 50 assists during his eight seasons in Dallas, making nearly 200 appearances for the club before retiring in 2005. 

Pareja then turned his attention to coaching, initially in the FCD Academy before becoming a first-team assistant. He got his first head coaching job in Colorado in 2012, where he spent two seasons before Dallas traded a first-round pick to the Rapids to bring him back to its touchline.

Pareja managed FCD during its most successful season, helping it win the Supporters’ Shield and the U.S. Open Cup in 2016, cementing his place as a club legend.

4. Jesus Ferreira

When I bet on soccer games, I like to back teams with a versatile forward like Ferreira. The USMNT striker can be clinical in front of goal, but is also a strong progressive passer who gets involved in the build-up play.

Ferreira came through the FC Dallas Academy and made his first-team debut as a 16-year-old in 2017. He enjoyed his best MLS campaign five years later, scoring 18 times in 33 matches to earn Young Player of the Year honours and inclusion in the MLS Best XI.

Ferreira was traded to the Seattle Sounders in January 2025, but remains second on FC Dallas’ all-time scoring list with 55 goals in 181 matches across all competitions.

5. David Ferreira

The elder Ferreira was instrumental in FC Dallas’ 2010 campaign, which saw the club make its lone trip to the MLS Cup final. 

The Colombian midfielder scored eight goals and provided 13 assists in the regular season to pick up league MVP honours. He continued that strong play in the postseason, scoring the game-winner against the LA Galaxy in the Western Conference final and netting his team’s only goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Cup.

While Ferreira’s on-field contributions were significant, his place in club lore has been solidified by his son, Jesus.