Today, S.L. Benfica and FC Dallas announced a talent development partnership that will bring together two of the global game’s most successful youth academies to offer players a pathway to first-team soccer both in the United States and Portugal.

This is the latest partnership between FC Dallas and a large foreign club. Previously, FC Dallas had partnerships with Bayern Munich in Germany, Clube Athletico Paranaense in Brazil, Tigres in Mexico, and the entire T&T pro league.

The Portuguese powerhouse, who has won a record 38 league championships and two European Cups, and the two-time Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champions will collaborate to exchange coaching expertise that will allow young, talented players to experience different playing styles and cultures to enhance their personal and professional development.

“Developing talent from within is one of our core philosophies at FC Dallas,” FC Dallas President Dan Hunt said through a club-issued press release. “Partnering with a club that shares our commitment and has the legacy and talent that Benfica possesses allows both of us to keep creating incredible opportunities for athletes and soccer professionals globally.”

Benfica and FC Dallas will also collaborate on sharing training methodologies and expertise that helped develop several national team players such as Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, João Félix, João Cancelo, Chris Richards, Ricardo Pepi, Jesús Ferreira and Paxton Pomykal.

The two clubs partnered to execute the transfer of Croatian striker Petar Musa from Benfica on February 2, 2024. Musa comes to Dallas after spending the last two years at Benfica, where he made 66 appearances, registering 17 goals across all competitions.

Benfica’s footprint in the United States has been growing in recent years with the club actively engaged in initiatives to foster growth and collaboration. This commitment is exemplified through the organization of training camps, where aspiring players from across the United States have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich footballing culture of Benfica while receiving top-tier coaching and mentorship.

Quick BDS Take

On paper, this deal sounds really good for FC Dallas. Dan Hunt made sure to comment and say that this deal is going to be different than the previous one with Bayern Munich. Hunt and Benfica Vice President Manuel de Brito stated that they see this as a two-way street between the clubs for both player development at the academy age and at the first team level.

Obviously, time will tell what this really means for both clubs. The Bayern deal did help identify several Homegrown players for FC Dallas that were ‘the next guy’ and in the case of Chris Richards, helped provide a transfer deal. The way Hunt talked today tells me that he wants to do more than just send a few players to Portugal but also bring in a player or two on loan when it makes sense for the club. It was always something FC Dallas fans wanted with Bayern.