FC Dallas Roster Tiers: World Cup Break 2026
Two months is a lot of time to sit around pondering all things FC Dallas. With no games and the transfer window still a month plus away, content generation is still something in which websites like this must participate.
Today let's talk about the Burn's roster as a whole. Not in the context of contracts or future selling, but in the here and now. We're going to break the roster down into tiers, relative to the player's importance to the club. The more important the player, the higher tier in which they land. Simple enough?
Off we go.
Writer's note: The players aren't listed in any particular order in each tier. This also doesn't include players currently on loan away from the club.
Owner's note: Starting from today, I'm opening up the ability for members to comment on posts. If I want this to be a real community, let's try and foster some discussion. I reserve the right to turn it off at any point if things get too chaotic. So be good and civil you crazy kids.
Tier one
Petar Musa, Osaze Urhoghide, Shaq Moore, Kaick
At the top we have the elite quartet wearing the Toros' kit.
Musa, Urhoghide, and Moore go without much explanation. Musa is a Golden Boot favorite and MVP candidate. Urhoghide remains one of the league's best center backs that remains nationally underrated. Moore has become pound for pound Dallas' best and most important defender, playing literally every position in defense for Eric Quill. Add in his leadership (Moore is the squad's vice-captain) and it's impossible to keep Moore out of this group.
Kaick might surprise some folks by his inclusion, but it's well deserved. The 20 year old has been outstanding this season, leveling up from a good 2025 campaign. In particular the Pitbull shined in the final three game stretch before the Colorado game, as Dallas' social team highlighted:
His pressing, ingenuity, and motor have all evolved into key components of his game and by extension Quill's high intensity system. Having Kaick in one midfield spot allows the other midfielder to be a more stay at home organize type. His value comes across multiple positions, an impressive feat.
All four of these players are tattooed on the team sheet when available. Even at 75-80% these four are better than most at 100%. They're the foundation upon which this iteration of FC Dallas is built. If they're playing well, Dallas' chances of winning are favorable.
Tier two
Logan Farrington, Ramiro, Herman Johansson, Santi Moreno, Nolan Norris
One tier down we have the "important starter" category.
Farrington you could argue should be one tier up. He's the floater on this group, but ultimately I bumped him down to the highest end of this tier. He's definitely important, but we're seeing more and more that his value comes when he's relieving Musa. There's utility in them playing together, but Farrington's best utilization is as the Moose's full-time deputy.
Moreno would rank next but his future is cloudy. Three goal contributions so far for the Colombian, who seemingly has a max of around 60-65 minutes in his legs. Even so when Moreno is on the pitch he displays a lot of the qualities a Designated Player, just so far not the end product. That's what keeps him out of the top tier, and could even bring him down one at season's end if the production doesn't emerge.
Ramiro and Johansson are similar in their consistency. Ramiro is slightly above because of his veteran leadership and on-pitch organization. He's the conductor of the squad's back half, and as such his deficiencies are largely covered by those around him. Johansson meanwhile is settling as a consistent 6 rating with a couple of elite skills: his heading and distance closing. Again with more growth (and settling into a position) Johansson could climb into the top tier.
Meanwhile Norris has established himself as a starter despite being in and out of the lineup situationally. While my thoughts on that aren't important now, what is undisputed is Norris' growth this year has made him a quality MLS defender. If he played for a second tier (non-playoff or worse) MLS team he'd be getting 90 minutes every week. It's a testament to how flexible and successful Dallas is under Quill that Norris can float in and out of the lineup and the club still succeed.
Tier three
Michael Collodi, Jonathan Sirois, Christian Cappis, Sebastian Ibeagha, Joaquin Valiente, Bernard Kamungo, Ran Binyamin, Patrickson Delgado
Dallas' most crowded category which represents "Good but not great."
I talked about the goalkeepers in my three questions during the World Cup piece recently, so I won't belabor the point again. I will say if you had asked me before the season began I'd have had Collodi higher and Sirois lower. That's not the reality at the moment, and I play the game in front of me not the one I want.
Sam Hale
Cappis being in this tier is a surprise, but that's also the reality of his form this season. After setting the world on fire in 2025, his 2026 has been marred by inconsistency. He's still a good player, he's still someone you want on your squad, and at his best he's a game changer. This season Cappis' has yet to tap into that high quality form that made him so critical to Dallas' 2025 end stretch. Maybe the World Cup break can get him right however he needs. If so that'd solve a lot of Dallas' midfield woes.
Ibeagha is a case of being good but being beaten out by others. Moore and Urhoghide are the preferred starting two in a back four, and if they go to three Norris is probably above him overall. That doesn't mean Ibby isn't important; his cross prevention and leadership were key to Dallas' first half ending win over Colorado. He's become a reliable closer and stand in starter for one of the two tier ones. There's value in that, and Ibeagha is over-performing at his advanced (in soccer terms) age.
Kamungo pre-injury is a tier two lock, but with his future position uncertain (see the aforementioned questions piece above) he's down a peg here. His pseudo replacement Binyamin is here for lack of sample size. He's performed well at left midfielder and inexplicably left back, but I'd feel more comfortable seeing more than 448 minutes to make this call. It's encouraging, just not definitive.
That leaves the two theoretical attacking midfielders Valiente and Delgado. Delgado shows flashes of talent, but lacks consistency in the worst way. He's also a man without a defined position, which coupled with that consistency deprivation keeps you lower on the chart. At this moment Delgado is a specific tool for a specific situation. When the situation's right, nobody is better suited. Otherwise it's like using a hammer to weld.
Valiente is...interesting. He's got a great skill in his pressing, I'd argue he's a top three presser on the team. His off-ball effort is unmatched, and that matters on a team where those skills are valued by the man in charge. That's enough to keep Valiente on the team sheet, but if he wants to remain in the starting eleven he needs to show more on offense. Whether it's setting up or scoring goals, his two goal contributions aren't enough for his position.
Tier four
Sam Sarver
This is literally just "The Sam Sarver tier." Dallas doesn't have anyone like him in so many ways, and as the team's resident super sub he deserves his own place. You could argue him in any tier but one, but I felt giving him his own space was more appropriate.
Tier five
Louicius Deedson, Anderson Julio, Lalas Abubakar
This is the "Not looking good" tier.
Deedson I already wrote about at length in the questions piece detailing his situation. It's just not working for him in Dallas, and considering he's not made the team since they played in Seattle he's not in the gaffer's plans either.
Julio is turning into one of those good idea, not working out transfers. His injury is bad luck, but severe enough that he's only played 29 total minutes this season. While he had six goals last year, he's never found his overall footing in Dallas. As a traditional nine he's been ineffective, he hasn't had much chance to play as a winger, and his limited wing back experience has been mediocre.
Combine that with Musa, Farrington, and Sarver all being ahead of him on the depth chart and suddenly Julio's $820,000 or so salary becomes a liability to a team trying to elevate out of the break. When Julio gets healthy I imagine Quill will try and re-integrate him into the squad, but I do wonder if his career prognosis takes him away from Frisco after 2026.
In Abubakar's case, there's no denying he's a tier one human being. A quality person through and through, which does matter to a locker room. I'm just unsure if he's got the legs to keep up with a league that is more and more transition based every year. As well he's fallen on the depth chart behind the four main center backs, to the point where it's fair to ask whether Dallas should use Alvaro Augusto in Abubakar's spot for player development purposes. It's not fun to consider this, but it would be intellectually dishonest ignoring it.
Tier six
Nick Simmonds, Ricky Louis, Caleb Swann, Alvaro Augusto, Brooks Thompson, Josh Torquato
The final tier is the "Need more information" tier. Most of these players have either minimal or no minutes, so it's just not feasible to come up with anything specific for them. They're not a detriment or an asset yet, and we may never know. The only way we'll find out is if they receive more playing time. It's all a big "to be determined" in this tier.
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