10 things to know about USMNT forward, FC Dallas star Jesús Ferreira

Jesus Ferreira was recently chosen for the U.S. World Cup team and was FC Dallas’ top goal scorer in its recent run in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Here are some interesting things to know about him ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.

1. The basics

Name: Jesús David Ferreira Castro

Born: Dec. 24, 2000

Height: 5-8

Weight: 150 lb

Position: Forward

2. A homegrown prodigy

Ferreira joined FC Dallas’ youth program when he was eight and quickly rose to prominence as a young, promising player for the club.

He was rewarded nearly seven years later in 2016. Not wanting to lose young talent like they did with Weston McKinnie, FCD signed 16-year-old Paxton Pomykal to a pro contract and did the same with the 15-year-old Ferreira a few months later. It made Ferreira the 16th homegrown player to sign with FCD as well as the youngest in its history.

He would make his MLS debut in 2017 against Real Salt Lake. Ferreira became the youngest player in FCD history to score a goal that day, scoring in the 89th minute of the 6-2 win.

3. Entering the elite

Six years after signing that contract, Ferreira would have a season for the FCD record books.

The forward broke into another tier in 2022. He scored 10 goals in the first four months of the season and eventually ending with 18, tying the club record held by Jason Kreis and Kenny Cooper, who achieved 18 in 1999 and 2008 respectively. He was named to his first MLS All-Star game and ended the year with multiple awards: MLS Young Player of the Year, MLS Best XI selection and a No. 1 ranking in MLS’s 22 Under 22 list.

4. Carrying on the legacy

In Jan. 2022, Ferreira signed a four-year contract that makes him the first Homegrown Designated Player in club history. Yes, first Homegrown Designated Player but not the first — not even the first from the Ferreira family.

David Ferreira, Jesus’ dad, was the second ever Designated Player for FC Dallas and had quite the soccer career himself. David began his career in 1997 in Columbia with the Colombian Primera B club Expresso Rojo and bounced around teams before eventually being loaned to FCD in 2009. He won MLS MVP in 2010 and helped lead FCD to the playoffs where they lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Colorado Rapids.

Following this, David signed a contract with the club that purchased his rights from his former team, though he never quite reached his 2010 peak ever again after an injury in 2012. He eventually returned to play in his native Columbia after FCD declined his player option.

5. Post-career ambitions

Retired athletes always seem to struggle with deciding what comes after their career ends. Ferreira, though, has no such doubts.

“After soccer, I want to become a zoologist,” Ferreira said. “I just love animals... I’ve already done my research and I’m ready to go.”

6. Colombian at heart

Ferreira initially wished to represent Colombia at the World Cup, the country of his birth and where his dad began his career. However, it wasn’t meant to be.

“I’m not going to sit here and lie [about] where I wanted to play. I wanted to play with Colombia because that’s where I was born. My dad played there,” Ferreira told The Striker earlier this year. “But obviously things didn’t work out, and the U.S. gave me the opportunity that I needed.”

It probably hurts for Ferreira, but U.S. fans are glad to have the young striker on the team.

7. Another in the family

The Ferreira line is a never-ending one.

Next in the line is Jesus’ brother, Santiago Ferreira. While he’s not secured a contract yet, Santiago did score a banger of a goal in the 2021 U-17 MLS Next Cup.

He is currently playing as a midfielder for FCD’s reserve team, North Texas SC.

8. 10-minute hat trick

Early in the 2022 season, FCD went into a match vs. Portland without a goal to his name. 36 minutes later, and he pulled off one of the more remarkable stunts of the year by scoring a hat trick in 10 minutes.

It was the fastest hat trick in FC Dallas history and kickstarted his historic 2022 season.

9. U.S. Citizenship

Having been born in Colombia, Ferreira had to work hard to earn his U.S. citizenship. Nonetheless, he was able to officially become a citizen a couple of years ago. It allowed him to finally play for the USMNT after the Colombian team showed no interest in him.

10. Playoff struggles

FCD made a bit of a run in the 2022 MLS Playoffs, where it was seeded third after the regular season. Ferreira’s impact though, was minimal.

He did not record a goal or an assist in either game and missed an easy tap in vs. Minnesota United FC that would have put his team in the lead.

Of course, it’s not all his fault. Soccer is a team sport and the entire club was to blame for the Minnesota United win and the dismal first half vs. Austin FC that was a big reason why FCD was sent packing. Nonetheless, Ferreira was the top scorer on the team and failed to score when FCD needed it most.

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