FRISCO, Texas – As contract extensions go, this is a special one.
FC Dallas and Jesús Ferreira agreed to a new four-year contract that makes the forward the first Homegrown Designated Player in club history. Because Ferreira is 21, he qualifies as a Young Designated Player meaning his contract only carries a $200,000 budget charge to FCD's salary cap.
It’s a significant milestone for a club that prides itself on producing Homegrown talent but an even bigger accomplishment for the Ferreira family.
Jesús’ father, David, was FC Dallas’ second-ever Designated Player and he led the team to the 2010 Western Conference title (and won league MVP along the way). Jesús’ new contract means the Ferreiras are the first father-son Designated Player duo since the rule was created in 2007.
And for the third time in three years, Jesús Ferreira will take a new jersey number: #10, the number his father wore.
“Jesús is getting better and better every year,” said FCD Technical Director André Zanotta. “It’s a World Cup year and he’s being called up to the national team. For us, it’s really exciting to see his development and how mature he is right now. It’s great to have Jesús here for the long term and he deserves this new contract to become one of our Designated Players and to carry the number 10 on his back.
“His dad must be very proud. David is one of the best players in the history of this club and now his son is honoring the name and doing amazing things—not only with FC Dallas but also with the national team. I think Jesús is getting better every year and he’s still not at his full potential. He has many years ahead of him and he’ll continue to bring his qualities to our team.”
Jesús is carving out a special career of his own while also honoring his father’s legacy in Dallas. He joined the FCD Academy as an 8-year-old and progressed through the ranks until becoming the youngest debutant in club history at 16 years and 161 days old. His goal that day makes him the fourth-youngest scorer in MLS history, too.
But it wasn’t until 2019 that Jesús really came into his own. He earned a starting role under then head coach Luchi Gonzalez and led the team in scoring with eight goals—making him the youngest top scorer in Dallas history (are you sensing a theme here?).
His increased standing within the club led Jesús to swap from the #27 jersey to #7 ahead of the new campaign. But an admittedly down 2020 season meant Jesús changed again from #7 to #9 – the number he wore to good effect for the U.S. Men’s National Team. The trick seemed to work as Jesús enjoyed his best season yet in 2021: 10 goals and 12 assists from 32 games for club and country.
Now with a new DP contract and new number ahead of 2022, Jesús Ferreira will continue to forge his own legacy with FC Dallas.
“My dad was a big part FC Dallas and his name stays here in Dallas,” Ferreira said. “When I first signed, I wanted to make sure that they don’t remember me because of my dad. I want to make sure that they remember me, Jesús.”
