After bringing his voice to the World Cup on Fox Sports, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández has been announced as Atlético Dallas‘ first player. El Tri’s legendary striker signed a two-year agreement with a club option for a third season for the brand-new Dallas club, pending league and federation approval. And to be honest, it just makes sense.
Why Atlético Dallas?
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Atlético Dallas joins other Texas professional teams. Austin FC and Houston Dynamo are in the MLS, and San Antonio FC will be Dallas’ direct competition in the USL, the US’s lower league similar to League One. But Atlético Dallas isn’t trying to be like every other club. If you’ve attended any watch party or game in Texas during the World Cup, there was no shortage of Mexican National Team jerseys, whether the team was in the race or not.
While El Tri may always have a home game in the United States, the high population of Mexican-Americans in Texas makes Chicharito’s choice to come to Dallas a perfect fit. The establishment of Atlético Dallas was built on the fact that Texas houses one of the largest Latino communities and boasts one of the best levels of youth participation.
“From the very beginning, our dream wasn’t simply to launch another professional soccer club,” said Matt Valentine, Founder and Chairman of Atlético Dallas, in a release to the media. “Our dream was to build a club that truly belongs to Dallas. Javier believed in that vision… His career speaks for itself, but it’s his leadership, humility, competitive spirit, and genuine love for the game that make him the perfect person to help write the first chapter in Atlético Dallas history.”
From its inception, Atlético Dallas has committed to creating a club that reflects the culture of North Texas, embraces the communities that have long fueled the region’s passion for the game, and that means Latinos, and more specifically, Texas’ massive Mexican-American communities. It’s only fitting that Chicharrito’s arrival represents a defining step toward completing that goal.
And with some of the top clubs picking Texas as home to some of their US academies, it’s only fitting for Dallas to bolster its image with such a high-profile footballer. The Lone Star State is home to academies for Liverpool FC (Houston), Paris Saint-Germain (Houston & DFW-area), FC Barcelona (Austin), Villarreal CF (Houston), FC Bayern Munich (Dallas), and Juventus (Houston).
Why Chicharrito?
Hernández is Mexico’s all-time leading goal scorer and one of the country’s most celebrated players, representing El Tri in multiple FIFA World Cups, Concacaf Gold Cups, FIFA Confederations Cups, and international competitions.
But it’s not only about international caps. With a 20-year career, Chicharrito has played at Chivas Guadalajara, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla FC, and most recently, the LA Galaxy.
“I’ve been fortunate to live the dreams that every young footballer hopes to experience,” Hernández said. “I’ve worn some of the biggest shirts in the world and played in incredible stadiums in front of passionate supporters. Opportunities like this, though, are different.”
Hernández’s decision to join Atlético Dallas reflects something larger than a player signing for the community that he is walking into. It speaks directly to Mexican-American fans and football lovers, asking them to support Atlético Dallas.
“I believe Dallas deserves a club that reflects its passion for football, its diversity, and its future,” said Hernández. “I want to help create a winning culture, inspire young players across North Texas, and give our supporters a team they can believe in from the very beginning. I didn’t come here simply to finish my career. I came here to help build the future of football in Dallas.”
What is the difference between USL and MLS?
MLS is considered the top league of the sport in the United States and operates like other US sports models of ownership and revenue, the Cartel Model. USL, on the other hand, functions as an independent lower-division professional league (USL Championship and League One).
The USL is looking to match its European counterparts and has announced plans to launch a Division 1 league (often styled as USL Premier) targeting a 2028–2029 launch to rival MLS, featuring an unprecedented domestic system of promotion and relegation connected to the USL Championship.
