FC Dallas wrapped up its end-of-season press conference with a message that was loud, clear, and surprisingly unified across the front office and technical staff: 2025 was the foundation, and 2026 is the expectation. President Dan Hunt, CSO Andre Zanotta, and Head Coach Eric Quill each gave their own take on the year, what they want out of 2026 and more.
The common line between the three was how much of a foundational year 2025 was, and more importantly, how big 2026 can be for the club.
Here are some highlights I took from today’s press conference.
Dan Hunt – “One of the most rewarding seasons of my time at FC Dallas”
FC Dallas president Dan Hunt framed 2025 as a foundational, character-building season: brutal mid-year stretch, elite road form, a group that refused to quit, and a springboard into a very loud “2026 is coming” message with the World Cup and club ambitions.
“For me, this was one of the most rewarding seasons of my entire time at FC Dallas. I couldn’t be more proud of the fight this team showed, especially over the last 10 games, and the effort they put in to get into the playoffs.
In July, we weren’t where we wanted to be. That happens sometimes, and some teams give up and quit. Instead, everyone got to see why we selected Eric Quill as our head coach. He’s a great tactician, he understands the game, and his competitive nature and desire to win showed through. Our team never gave up – they fought.
One of the most impressive things this year was our road record. That was our Achilles heel last year. This season, the team was fierce away from home, competing and having a lot of success. We didn’t just sneak in as a play-in team – we were in the main playoff bracket and played a very good Vancouver side. You can see that now, they’re in the final, and they deserve credit.
I’m incredibly proud of this organization – the people, the fight, the coaching staff, and the players. We also had players help their countries reach the World Cup. Petar Musa with Croatia, and guys like Deedson and others with Haiti – those are great stories for this club.
Most importantly, this year was a foundation. I told the players and staff that if you want to be a champion, you need a season like this. It doesn’t always go your way, but you have to fight through adversity, deal with the things that don’t go right, and still bring your best every day.
This was an important moment for the club and for our future, with what we’re building with Eric and Andre to take that next step and lift trophies in 2026 and beyond. I couldn’t be more proud of everyone in this building, and I couldn’t be more excited for 2026. Under Eric’s leadership and passion for the game, great things are going to happen here.
And of course, 2026 is a massive year for soccer with the World Cup. Dallas will be an epicenter of World Cup 26. It’s a great moment to be in this business, and I’m proud to be part of the FC Dallas family.”
FC Dallas CSO Andre Zanotta:
“From 2024 to 2025 we went through a lot of roster changes. We made a lot of moves and many players left the club. Like Dan said, we’re very proud of how the team finished the season and the fight we showed in the last couple of months.
Now we feel we have a very strong roster. We have solid players who will be here with us next year, and from that base we’re looking to add a few more pieces that we believe will raise the level and make us even stronger.”
