Who is Jesus Ferreira, Dallas' newest star?

Just 21 years old and the son of an MLS and Colombian soccer legend, Jesus Ferreira is beginning to emerge as one of the important names for the future of the U.S. national team and FC Dallas.

In a very tough regular season for the Texan club -which did not qualify for the MLS Playoffs after firing coach Luchi González- the youth players stood up for FC Dallas. It is a team that usually stands out for its youth products, and the 2021 season was no exception. 

Jesus Ferreira will be in charge of the offensive line for Dallas after the departure of Ricardo Pepi to Augsburg. His offensive production last season was very good, with 8 goals and 9 assists. The 20-year-old will become the team's leader on offense as Ricardo Pepi, a former Dallas player, was the leading scorer.

His destiny seems to be sealed to move to European soccer, where other FC Dallas academy products such as Weston McKennie (Juventus), Chris Richards (1899 Hoffenheim), Bryan Reynolds (AS Roma), Reggie Cannon (Boavista), and recently, Ricardo Pepi (FC Augsburg) are already playing.

More MLS News:

DC United quickly found a replacement for Kevin Paredes

Who is Jesus Ferreira?

Ferreira is a unique player. A U.S. citizen since December 2019, he was born on Christmas Eve in 2000 in Santa Marta, Colombia, where he lived until he was 10 years old, before moving with his family to Dallas. The son of David Ferreira (ex-player of America de Cali, Atletico Paranaense, and the Colombian National Team, in addition to FCD) did not find it difficult to enter the schools and children's teams of the Frisco club.

His development in the Texan franchise's youth teams was swift, and over the end of 2016 he signed a youth contract and made his first-team debut on June 3, 2017 (after entering in the second half) in FC Dallas' 6-2 drubbing of Real Salt Lake, when he scored his first MLS goal in the 89th minute of that match.

Fans in the USA knew right away that they were in for a special player. Ferreira blends the natural talent of South American strikers with the tenacity of the younger generation of American players. The tenacity translated into a change of roles as an FC Dallas player.

Jesus Ferreira never stopped being an offensive player, despite the fact that the coaching staff of the Texan club tried him in different places on the field: from standing in the center forward position, passing through the wings, and sometimes trying in the center of the field.

More MLS News:

FC Dallas offered 10 million for São Paulo’s offensive midfielder Gabriel Sara

2021 was Ferreira's year of growth

After 2020 with no goals or assists, Ferreira was used in 2021 mainly as a playmaker, attacking midfielder, or creator. All the Dallas team's play went through Jesus Ferreira in the 2021 MLS season. It was a transcendent change and the first to recognize it was the player himself, who gave credit to the FCD coaches for his progression.

The progression that led him to the U.S. national team. And that was seen and appreciated by the national team's coach, Gregg Berhalter, who considers him valid to play as a 10 or 9 every time he is called up. "We know he's been playing more in the attacking midfield position, but Jesus has a type of intelligence, game intelligence, that allows him to adapt to a position very easily."