By Alejandro Guzmán
FC Dallas opens its 2026 Leagues Cup campaign on Wednesday night against Querétaro FC at Texas Health Mansfield Stadium. The match marks the first competitive meeting between the two clubs and is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT on Apple TV.
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- 1st matchup between them
- Record at Leagues Cup: FC Dalals (2-4), Querétaro (3-7)
LAST FIVE GAMES:
- FC Dallas:
- 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 1 Loss
- Querétaro:
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Dallas is playing in Leagues Cup for first time since 2024.
- Dallas enters Leagues Cup after a scoreless draw against LA Galaxy in which goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois delivered one of the best performances of his career, logging a career-high nine saves while recording his first clean sheet with the club.
- Querétaro will look to recapture their 2023 Leagues Cup magic when they advanced all the way to the quarterfinals. They have not won a Leagues Cup game since (0-2 in 2024 and 0-3 in 2025)
- Querétaro arrives at Leagues Cup after back-to-back Liga MX victories over Pachuca and Tigres, results that lifted the Gallos Blancos into seventh place in the Apertura standings.
- Ali Ávila has scored four goals in Querétaro's last five official matches, dating back to the final match of the Clausura 2026.
KEY FACTORS:
- FC Dallas:
- Petar Musa is coming off representing Croatia in the 2026 World Cup. He enters the tournament tied for the MLS Golden Boot lead with 13 goals
- Patrickson Delgado has scored two goals over Dallas' last five matches.
- Head coach Eric Quill will want his team to take advantage of opening the tournament at home and build momentum with a victory.
- Querétaro:
- Los Gallos Blancos have been at their best when winning possession and quickly transitioning into attack.
- Querétaro's strong start to the Apertura has been fueled by contributions from throughout the squad rather than relying on a single player.
- Esteban González has quickly established a balanced side capable of defending with discipline while remaining dangerous on the counterattack.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Dallas returns to the tournament for the first time since 2024 after reaching the knockout rounds in its debut appearance in 2023. FC Dallas advanced to the Round of 16 that year and will look to make another deep run after missing last season's competition.
Querétaro enters looking to recapture the form that carried the club to the 2023 Leagues Cup quarterfinals. After Phase One exists in both 2024 and 2025, the Gallos Blancos arrive with momentum following a strong start to the Liga MX Apertura campaign.
Under head coach Esteban González, Querétaro has earned six points through its first three league matches and currently sits seventh in the standings.
FC Dallas is expected to control possession and dictate the tempo from the opening whistle. While the club has consistently created scoring opportunities throughout the MLS season, turning those chances into goals will be essential against a confident Querétaro side.
The Gallos Blancos will likely remain compact defensively before looking to exploit spaces on the counterattack. Recent victories over Pachuca and Tigres demonstrated their ability to stay organized, absorb pressure and capitalize on opponents' mistakes.
Dallas holds the advantage of home-field support and enters with more overall Leagues Cup experience, but Querétaro has already proven it can compete with some of Liga MX's strongest clubs. With contrasting styles on display, the opening goal could play a decisive role in determining how the match unfolds
FC Dallas enters as the favorite with 56% of the Polymarket prediction, compared to 23% for Querétaro. The market is backing the hosts to make the most of home-field advantage in their Leagues Cup opener.
