Breaking: Marco Farfan transferred to Tigres
A long rumored FC Dallas transfer is now official: left back Marco Farfan now plays for Liga MX side Tigres. The transfer fee is undisclosed, though per Transfermarkt Farfan's value is at 2 million Euros. That's not official, but we'll use it as a baseline.
There's a lot to break down about this deal, both micro and macro. Let's start with the obvious.
Why transfer Farfan out?
This move might come as a surprise to some. Farfan has been with the squad since 2022, acquired from LAFC in the Ryan Hollingshead deal. Between MLS regular season and playoffs Farfan played 110 games, starting 102 with three goals and an assist to his credit. Per Capology, his 2025 salary was $550,000 on an expiring deal this winter.
That last part is critical to understanding Farfan's departure. After the 2022 season he signed a three year deal with an option for 2026. While Dallas could have exercised Farfan's option (and likely would have) they'd still be in a contract year situation with their starting left back. All this means Andre Zanotta was presented with a choice: Give Farfan a second contract or cash in on a player in his prime.
He's chosen the latter, although neither option would be incorrect. The Nkosi Tafari trade in training camp gave us a bit of an indication on how this would go however. Tafari and the club couldn't agree on an extension, so off to LAFC Kos went. That isn't to say Farfan and the club had that issue; I've not heard anything remotely close to it. This is more a bigger club was interested, came with the cash, and in MLS that usually means it's time to go.
Who wins in this deal?
In short, everyone.
Farfan moves to the top league in North America for a giant of Mexican soccer in Tigres, who are 3rd in the early Apertura standings. They're also performing well in Leagues Cup, meaning Farfan has a chance at a domestic trophy upon arrival.
At 26, Farfan's reaching the prime of his career. A great showing with Tigres could earn him a good amount of money in North America be it in Liga MX or an MLS return. You can't rule out a move to Europe either, somewhere like Ligue 1 or La Liga. It's a huge opportunity for him to maximize both his earnings and his career potential. At worst he plays in Mexico a couple years, then returns to the States and finish out his career as an upper half MLS left back. There's few bad options for him.
Meanwhile for FC Dallas, you get a chunk of change for a player you like but might have lost for free if you went to a true contract year. Not only do you get actual real money, MLS will convert some of that fee to General Allocation Money (GAM) which adds to the war chest FCD has developed as of late. That means they can operate within the league or just keep their own salary cap managed.
These are the types of deals MLS clubs run on for better or worse. Only a few clubs can just shovel money into a furnace and not feel it. Dallas isn't one of them, so making reasonable returns on player sales is a necessity. Farfan cost nothing transfer dollar wise, so his move out is 100% profit for the club.
Two other winners in this deal: Nolan Norris and Josh Torquato. They'll have the chance to spend the rest of 2025 convincing manager Eric Quill that they should be the left back going forward. Norris performed admirably when Farfan was out due to compartment syndrome early this season. Torquato meanwhile took up left wing back to relative success for a couple games, earning a Homegrown deal.
Their performances are worth watching as the season winds down. If neither lays claim to the job, Dallas will need to go into the market for a starting level left back this winter. If they can, Dallas can spend that money elsewhere. There's a specific spot that comes to mind...
And now, a history lesson
Farfan's departure is another piece gone from the Nico Estèvez era roster, one of the longest tenured of that group to boot. You probably knew that. You probably don't know the extent of how different this roster is however.
Flashback to Farfan's first FC Dallas start, the 2022 opener at home against Toronto FC. Dallas had 20 players on the team sheet that day. With Farfan's departure only three of the players from that day are still on the Dallas roster: Maarten Paes, Tsiki Ntsabeleng and Paxton Pomykal.
Fast forward to the Austin playoff game that year. Farfan started that game as well, playing 75 minutes. Of that group of 20 players only four remain in Dallas: the aforementioned three and Sebastian Lletget.
Yes rosters change over time but in Farfan's tenure he's been a rock compared to the squad around him. He was Mr. Reliable, maybe to a fault sometimes. You can argue Dallas relied on him too much, to the point of reduced performance because of body wear and tear.
I had a conversation with Marco after training this season as he was getting ready to return from compartment syndrome surgery. The scars were pretty gnarly, running up both his lower legs. The way he described it to me was imagine running while it felt like your feet were asleep. That's what he dealt with near the end of 2024 before the surgery this year.
Which leads me to...
Remember him well
Farfan's legacy with this team should be one everyone appreciates. He worked his tail off every chance he got, performed at a high level when out there, and did it all while being a good guy off the pitch.
If he wants to come back one day be it playing or post-playing he should be welcomed with open arms. When we ask for guys to play for the shirt, Farfan was a shining example of that in Frisco. He's a true competitor who wants to win while being a good teammate and team leader. He accomplished it here, and I've little doubt he'll do the same at Tigres.
Happy trails Marco, and here's to meeting again one day. Thanks for everything you did for the club, and best of luck.