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2026 Dallas Cup presented by Coca-Cola Kicks Off with Record Crowd at Cotton Bowl Stadium
- Mar 29
- 3 min read
Record attendance: 25,426; Botafogo defeats Aston Villa in headlining matchup as tournament play begins across North Texas
DALLAS, Texas (Sunday, Mar. 29) – The 2026 Dallas Cup presented by Coca-Cola is officially underway, as over 500 boys and girls teams took the pitch Sunday throughout the Greater Dallas area.
Opening Day at the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium was highlighted by a marquee Gordon Jago Super Group clash between defending champions SAF Botafogo (Brazil) and Premier League side Aston Villa FC, played in front of a single-day attendance record of 25,426. The day also featured a full slate of international matchups and the Whataparade of Teams and Opening Ceremonies presented by Whataburger.
12:00PM – Dallas Texans ECNL (TX) vs. Everton Football College (ENG)
Under 19 Girls
The day at Cotton Bowl Stadium kicked off at noon with a competitive U19 Girls matchup between Everton Football College (England) and local side Dallas Texans ECNL, with both teams struggling to create clear chances in a disciplined first half. Everton’s Lola Smith found the breakthrough in the 39th minute, reacting quickest to a deflection in the box following a free kick.
In the second half, the Texans looked like the stronger side, creating chances and controlling much of the possession, but Everton Football College bent but did not break.
The final whistle blew with a 1-0 scoreline in favor of the English side, as they secured their first three points in Bracket A of the U19 Girls division.
Photos: Matt Visinsky
2:30PM - FC Dallas Academy (TX) vs. Fulham FC (ENG) Gordon Jago Super Group
The second match of the day at Cotton Bowl Stadium was an entertaining affair between Premier League side Fulham FC and FC Dallas Academy at 2:30 p.m. FC Dallas’ Samuel Sedeh opened the scoring, slicing through the Fulham defense before finishing from the edge of the 18-yard box to put the hosts in front, 1-0.
Nearing halftime, Fulham responded. Brodie Dair delivered a low cross to the far post, finding Anand Batra, who leveled the match at 1-1.
In the second half, Dair found the scoresheet himself, finishing off a well-worked team move to give Fulham a 2-1 lead. The advantage did not last long, however, as FC Dallas answered in the 57th minute, with Marlon Luccin converting from the penalty spot with a cheeky Panenka to bring the match level once again at 2-2.
Both sides continued to push for a go-ahead goal, but neither could find a winner, as the match ended level with each earning a point in Group B of the Gordon Jago Super Group.
Photos: Matt Visinsky
5:00PM – Whataparade of Teams & Opening Ceremonies
At 5:00 p.m., the Whataparade of Teams and Opening Ceremonies presented by Whataburger brought together over 11,000 athletes at Cotton Bowl Stadium. With 17 nations represented, the international spirit of the tournament was on full display.
Derek Alexander, Vice President of Commercial, Marketing, and Digital for SAFCoca-Cola Southwest Beverages, along with Joshua Nascimento, son of the late, great Pelé, participated in the ceremonial first kick to help usher in the week-long celebration of global youth soccer.
6:30PM – SAF Botafogo (BRA) vs. Aston Villa FC (ENG) Gordon Jago Super Group
In front of a single-day attendance record of 25,426, defending Gordon Jago Super Group champions SAF Botafogo and Premier League side Aston Villa FC squared off in Group A action to close out Opening Day at Cotton Bowl Stadium. Botafogo struck early, as Vitinho intercepted a pass deep in the Villa half in the 5th minute, driving into the box before calmly finishing into the left side of the net to open the scoring.
Aston Villa responded in the 14th minute, as Jacob Green leveled the match with a well-taken volley after a partially cleared cross fell to him inside the box.
In the 35th minute, the defending champions regained the lead, as Marcelo Maurício redirected a loose ball from close range in a crowded box to make it 2-1. Just minutes later, Botafogo extended the advantage, with Juninho breaking through on goal and finishing to give the Brazilian side a 3-1 lead heading into halftime.
Botafogo maintained their advantage through the second half, securing a 3-1 victory to open their title defense with three points in Group A.
Photos: Matt Visinsky
Additional matches were played throughout the day at Dallas Soccer Park, Dallas College Richland Soccer Complex, and Toyota Soccer Center.
The 2026 Dallas Cup presented by Coca-Cola will run through April 5, featuring boys and girls competing in Under 10 through Under 19 age divisions. Finals across all age groups will take place Friday through Sunday in Frisco, Texas, at Toyota Soccer Center and Toyota Stadium.
Fans and teams can learn more by visiting www.DallasCup.org or following @dallascup on social media.
25,426 is a massive crowd for a youth matchup at the Cotton Bowl even for a marquee game like Botafogo and Aston Villa. The atmosphere was probably a bit different during the noon kickoff for the U19 girls as the stadium was still filling up. I noticed quite a few people in the stands just browsing Unblocked Games on their phones during the long ceremonies between the matches. It is a big stage for those kids to play on but the heat in Dallas always makes these opening days feel like a long grind.
What an incredible start to the 2026 Dallas Cup—25,426 fans at the Cotton Bowl is a fantastic turnout, and that Botafogo vs. Aston Villa match sounds like a thriller. It’s great to see youth soccer drawing such energy and international participation. With the World Cup coming to North America soon, tournaments like this really build momentum. By the way, has anyone seen the official fifa world cup 2026 schedule yet? I know the dates and host cities are set, but the full match timetable would be useful for planning. Either way, congratulations to Dallas Cup on a record-breaking opening day.
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