FC Dallas is celebrating a club first as two active players—forward Petar Musa and midfielder Don Deedson Louicius—earned spots on World Cup rosters for 2026, with Musa headed to Croatia and Louicius to Haiti, whose program returns to the tournament after 52 years; both players credited their FC Dallas teammates and staff, and Musa’s Croatia will open play in Dallas against England while Sweden is expected to train at the club in June.
This is a milestone for FC Dallas: two players on World Cup squads at once, both still on the club’s roster. The achievement changes the conversation about the club’s role in developing international-caliber talent and puts local fans in a unique position to follow the tournament with hometown ties. Players who carry club identity onto the global stage create a buzz and an extra layer of pride for supporters in Dallas.
Petar Musa’s call-up to Croatia landed Monday and brought the kind of elation any player dreams of. “It means the world for me and my family. They’re very happy and proud,” Musa said, and that simple line captures the personal weight of the moment. For individuals who leave home to chase professional soccer, a World Cup nod validates years of sacrifice and daily grind.
Don Deedson Louicius’s selection carries its own historic resonance because Haiti returns to the World Cup after a half-century gap in appearances. Louicius described the moment with a raw, familial tone. “I found out, and of course, my first call is my dad,” Louicius said, showing how these selections ripple out to loved ones long invested in a player’s journey.
Both players pointed to FC Dallas as a key part of their preparation, crediting teammates and the club environment for sharpening them. “The guys that are, they have helped me a lot. They push me in practice, they coach,” Louicius said, a nod to how daily competition and mentorship within the locker room translate to confidence on the international stage. That kind of peer-driven development is the backbone of a club claiming more than just local wins.
Musa echoed the same theme of relentless effort and internal motivation. “The work I was putting in every day, it was it was my motivation to work even harder,” Musa said, and his words underline how steady habits stack into big opportunities. Players talk about moments like these as the payoff for the small things—extra reps, focused recovery, and showing up for teammates when it matters.
There’s also a theater-of-the-world moment in play: Musa and Croatia will open their World Cup schedule in Dallas against England, currently ranked third in the world. Musa laughed about wanting a match in Dallas and then seeing it come true, adding a touch of destiny and humor to the announcement. “But yeah, we are not scared of no one,” he said, a compact reminder that talent and belief go hand in hand at this level.
Former club standout Kenny Cooper let his enthusiasm show, speaking from the perspective of someone who knows the club’s culture and the significance of the achievement. “I think I might be outwardly showing more excitement than they are, but I totally get it,” Cooper said, blending pride and a coach’s understanding of professional temperament. Fans hear that and feel the extra lift, knowing someone who’s walked that path is celebrating the moment.
FC Dallas head coach Eric Quill offered a clear, no-nonsense charge to both players heading into the biggest stage of their careers. “Biggest thing in life is… leave nothing on the table. Go be aggressive with your mindset, with your decisions,” Quill said, framing the tournament as a chance not just to compete but to make decisive, committed choices. That’s the kind of advice that echoes both on the training field and in the pressure cooker of World Cup play.
Beyond the player call-ups, FC Dallas will see international action at its facilities, with Sweden expected to use the club as a training base beginning the first week of June. That adds another layer to the local-to-global story unfolding in Dallas, as international squads walk the same turf and tap the same resources that shaped Musa and Louicius. For the club and its fans, these moments stitch local identity to the wider spectacle of the World Cup.
