What Atlético Dallas does

Atlético Dallas is a privately held, pre-revenue professional soccer club founded in 2024 by Matt Valentine and Sam Morton, preparing for its inaugural 2027 season in the USL Championship at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The club operates a vertically integrated soccer ecosystem that includes the professional first team, a free elite youth academy for U9–U10 boys, a wholly owned youth club (Atlético Dallas Youth), a reserve team (Atlético Dallas II in the UPSL acquired December 2025), a 19-field training complex (Dallas Soccer Park managed under agreement with the City of Dallas since January 2026), a 5,800-square-foot modular training facility, and a supporters bar and event venue (The Den at Expo Park, opening January 2027). The business model is multi-stream: season ticket subscriptions and individual match tickets (from $25, sold through a multi-year no-fee partnership with Jump), corporate sponsorships (Más+ by Messi, Playfly Sports, Synergy Sports Capital), merchandise and apparel (shop.atleticodallas.com plus physical pop-up locations), youth academy and youth club fees, and hospitality venue operations.

The go-to-market is community-led, with the Lunáticos Azules supporters group founded in January 2025 before the club had an official identity, supplemented by sales-led season ticket deposits (1841 Founders Club at $27 per seat) and event-driven activations tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Dallas. Customer segments include North Texas soccer fans, youth players and families, corporate partners, and community organizations such as Garland ISD ($75,000 commitment over three years) and Dallas Parks & Recreation ($100,000 commitment reaching approximately 2,000 youth athletes). Ownership is concentrated among co-founders Matt Valentine and Sam Morton, with major institutional and individual investors including Terrence C. Murphy Sr. (founder of Synergy Sports Capital, a newly formed private equity firm targeting a $150 million fund for emerging sports leagues), former MLS star Kyle Martino, and former NFL running back Reggie Bush. The company has no proprietary technology platforms, minimal in-house AI/ML capability, and approximately 11–50 employees as of 2026, with the first competitive match scheduled for Spring 2027.

Name

Atlético Dallas

Legal name

Atlético Dallas

Website

https://atleticodallas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlético Dallas is a privately held professional soccer club preparing for its inaugural 2027 USL Championship season at Cotton Bowl Stadium, operating a vertical ecosystem spanning a professional team, free youth academy, reserve team, 19-field training complex, and supporters venue, serving North Texas soccer fans, youth players, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Club

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA), Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

Keywords

• Professional soccer club
• Youth soccer academy
• Sports entertainment services
• Fan experience venue
• Sports merchandise retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Richardson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Season tickets and individual match tickets for USL Championship matches at Cotton Bowl Stadium. No-fee ticketing model through Jump platform ensures transparent pricing for fans.
2. Merchandise and Retail: Official merchandise sold through e-commerce (shop.atleticodallas.com), team shops at Expo Park locations, and pop-up shops during major events including World Cup.
3. Sponsorship and Partnerships: Corporate partnership deals with sponsors including Más+ by Messi (youth kit sponsor), Jump (ticketing platform), Playfly Sports, and other corporate partners through Ryan Mackey (SVP of Partnerships).
4. Youth Academy and Development Programs: Free Elite Youth Academy for U9-U10 boys, youth club operations (Atlético Dallas Youth), and youth soccer programming partnerships with schools and community organizations.
5. Hospitality and Venue Operations: The Den at Expo Park gastropub and gathering space, street court activations, and event hosting at Dallas Soccer Park and Expo Park locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Atlético Dallas is a professional men's soccer club competing in the USL Championship, debuting at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in 2027. The club sells season and individual match tickets, official merchandise, sponsorships, youth academy programming, and operates supporter gathering venues (The Den at Expo Park). It manages a 19-field training complex (Dallas Soccer Park) and runs reserve (Atlético Dallas II) and youth (Atlético Dallas Youth) teams.

Product overview

Atlético Dallas is a professional men's soccer club competing in the USL Championship, debuting at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium in 2027. The organization operates a portfolio of related products and services including: the core professional team, Atlético Dallas Academy (free elite youth development), Atlético Dallas II (reserve team in UPSL), Dallas Soccer Park (19-field training facility), The Den at Expo Park (supporters bar and gathering space), 1841 Founders Club (season ticket program), official merchandise shop, and Atlético Dallas Youth (youth club program). The portfolio is designed to create a complete soccer ecosystem spanning professional competition, player development, community engagement, and fan experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Atlético Dallas Academy: Free elite youth development program for U9 and U10 boys providing professional coaching without cost to selected players.
• Atlético Dallas II
• Atlético Dallas Youth
• The Den at Expo Park

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ youth athletes reached through jersey sponsorship and youth programming partnerships
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JumpcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 May 2026Multi-year partnership making Jump Atlético Dallas' founding ticketing and fan experience platform. Jump provides unified ticketing, pricing, and fan engagement with no service fees at checkout. AI-driven tools assist with pricing, inventory, and personalized offers.
• Pioneer Sports & EntertainmentcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 January 2026Oversees daily operations and staffing at Dallas Soccer Park on behalf of Atlético Dallas. Enables club to focus on strategic development while operational needs are managed.
• Playfly SportscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 November 2025Partnership with Playfly Sports to drive ticketing strategy ahead of 2027 debut. Playfly Sports provides sports marketing and ticketing expertise for revenue optimization and fan engagement.
• Dallas Police Department's Unidos ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlético Dallas supported youth soccer clinic at Cotton Bowl Stadium for nearly 200 young players, building trust and mentorship between law enforcement and the Hispanic community through sport.
• Dallas Parks and Recreation DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for official jersey sponsorship of city's 2026 spring youth sports season, reaching approximately 2,000 young athletes. Club committed $100,000 to support Dallas Parks & Recreation initiatives.
• Garland ISD Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAtlético Dallas awarded grants to seven Garland ISD elementary schools to build after-school soccer programs. Committed $25,000 per year for three years totaling $75,000 investment.
• Keep Richardson BeautifulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Earth Day cleanup and beautification efforts at Mimosa Park, supporting environmental responsibility and community engagement.
• City of DallascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgreement with City of Dallas for Atlético Dallas to manage MoneyGram Soccer Park (now Dallas Soccer Park) starting January 2026. Includes operational oversight and planned facility improvements.
• Atlético Dallas Youth (formerly Renegades SC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Youth Club of Atlético Dallas providing professional-level training, competitive opportunities, and community for young soccer talent. Acquired UPSL club to launch Atlético Dallas II as reserve team.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• FC Dallas: MLS club based in the same Dallas-Fort Worth market. Competes directly for soccer fans, corporate sponsors, and media attention in North Texas, and serves as the principal benchmark for any pro soccer venture in the metro.

Direct peers

• Phoenix Rising FC: USL Championship club in a major Sun Belt market with ambitious infrastructure and brand investment. Comparable model targeting Hispanic and multicultural fan engagement in a fast-growing metro.
• Sacramento Republic FC: High-profile USL Championship club that has been publicly discussed as MLS expansion candidate. Represents the benchmark for upper-tier USL commercial performance and MLS-readiness narrative.
• Louisville City FC: One of the most established USL Championship clubs with strong attendance and commercial track record. Atlético Dallas's Head of Ticketing Jocelyn Prieto came from Louisville City, indicating a direct operational talent pipeline.
• El Paso Locomotive FC: USL Championship expansion-era club with comparable Texas-market positioning. Andrew Forrest, Atlético Dallas's COO, previously served as GM there, and the two clubs share a regional Texas soccer ecosystem.
• Detroit City FC: USL Championship club with grassroots-supporter-led origins and strong community identity—comparable to Atlético Dallas's community-first and supporter-group-anchored approach.
• Tampa Bay Rowdies: Established USL Championship club with strong supporter culture and stadium operations. Comparable in combining on-field performance, fan engagement, and venue-based revenue strategy.

Regional players

• Dallas Trinity FC: USL Super League (women's) club launching in the same Dallas market. Shares geographic market, Zac Taylor (Atlético Dallas's Director of Agronomy) came from Dallas Trinity FC, and they compete for overlapping sponsorship and fan attention.
• San Antonio FC: USL Championship club serving another major Texas market. Comparable operational model and Texas-based competitive geography, with overlapping regional corporate and media partners.

Emerging players

• AV Alta FC: Newer USL League One expansion club with similar community-led launch playbook. Atlético Dallas's Brand Creative Lead Wes Flores previously worked at AV Alta FC, indicating shared expansion-club operational DNA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atletico-dallas
• Xx.com/atleticodallas
• Facebookfacebook.com/atleticodallas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Atlético Dallas