Many great players have represented FC Dallas such as David Ferreira and Leonel Álvarez. Despite that, the club is not known for paying high salaries when compared to other teams like Toronto FC or the LA Galaxy. Instead, it has developed talent from its youth teams such as Ricardo Pep, Justin Che, and Jesús Ferreira, son of the historic David’s Ferreira.
The average base salary for an FC Dallas player in 2023 is $444,841, while the average guaranteed compensation is $496,535. The highest-paid player is Jesús Ferreira, with a guaranteed compensation of $1,852,000.
In this article, we will look closer at FC Dallas salaries for 2023, including the highest earners and the average wage. Additionally, we’ll analyze the spending on the highest earners and see how it affects the team’s overall performance. We will also explore how FC Dallas’s spending compares to other MLS teams.
FC Dallas Salaries
Here is a breakdown of the FC Dallas players’ base salary and guaranteed compensation.
Top 3 Earners
The top 3 highest-paid players of The Toros are:
- Jesús Ferreira – $1,852,000
- Paul Arriola – $1,729,400
- Alan Velasco – $1,401,000
1. Jesús Ferreira – $1,852,000
Jesus Ferreira was born on December 24, 2000, in Santa Marta, Colombia, but moved to the United States when he was 10 years old after his father, David Ferreira, signed with FC Dallas. Ferreira joined FC Dallas’ youth program at the age of eight and shortly after and quickly rose through the ranks to become a key player for the team.
In 2021, Ferreira started in 26 out of 27 MLS appearances for FC Dallas, scoring eight goals and leading the team in assists with nine. He has also represented the United States at the international level, scoring one goal in four appearances for the national team.
Ferreira’s transfermarkt value is estimated at around €8 million at the moment of writing this article, making him one of the most valuable players on the FC Dallas roster.
2. Paul Arriola – $1,729,400
Paul Arriola was born on February 5, 1995, in Chula Vista, California, and began his professional soccer career with D.C. United in 2017. Arriola has represented the United States at the international level since 2016, and has scored ten goals in 50 appearances for his country.
Throughout his career, Arriola has established himself as a versatile and dynamic winger, known for his speed, skill, and work rate.
Arriola’s Transfermarkt value is estimated at around €4 million, making him the third most valuable player according to the site.
3. Alan Velasco – $1,401,000
Alan Velasco, born on January 12, 2003, is an Argentine winger who was signed as a Young Designated Player by FC Dallas on February 1, 2022, for a club-record transfer fee from Independiente. According to Transfermarkt, Velasco’s current market value is €8 million.
Velasco’s transfer to FC Dallas was a significant move for the team, as he became their third Designated Player and the biggest signing in the club’s history. His salary is reported to be $1,401,000.
Velasco has represented Argentina at the youth level and has been described as a versatile attacking player who can play on either wing or as an attacking midfielder.
In his first season with FC Dallas, Velasco made an immediate impact, scoring a sensational goal on his debut against the Colorado Rapids. He went on to score 3 goals and provide 4 assists in 25 appearances in all competitions for the team.
Overall, Velasco is a promising young talent with a bright future ahead of him. He has shown his potential at both the club and international level, and his performances for FC Dallas suggest that he will continue to develop and improve in the coming years.
Spending Analysis on the Highest Earners
As expected, the top three earners are to be the three designated players: Jesús Ferreira, Paul Arriola, and Alan Velasco. The three account for 35% of the whole roster’s salary as you can see in the chart below.
Despite the designated players representing a good percentage of the overall payroll, it can be considered not extreme compared to cases like Chicago Fire with 58% of their payroll towards their 3 designated players.
Doing a further analysis of the percentage of the highest earner and US national player, Ferreira, in comparison and the rest of the team, Jesús accounts for 13% of the team’s salary.
FC Dallas Salaries Compared to Other MLS Teams
With a total salary of $14,399,519 for a roster of 29 players, it is safe to say FC Dallas is not among the highest-spending teams in the MLS for the 2023 season. The team’s highest-paid player is Jesús Ferreira, who earns $1,852,000 per year.
Although Jesus Ferreira is not too far from being in the top 25 highest earners of the league list, the 25th spot, and funny enough another Ferreira, Evander da Silva, earns $2,230,000. However, if you look at the difference between the highest earner Xherdan Shaqiri with $8,153,000, and Jesus’ compensation, there is a difference of over $6 million!
FC Dallas is in the spot 17th from on the list of MLS teams with the highest salaries, far from other teams like Toronto FC with far more economic power and a roster of over $25 million in payroll.
