Major League Soccer today announced FC Dallas’ 34-match schedule for the 2026 MLS regular season. FC Dallas opens its 31st season at Toyota Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 21, against Toronto FC.

Beginning in 2026, all FC Dallas MLS matches will be available to stream for Apple TV subscribers at no additional cost.

Key items of the schedule

Long road stretch: Dallas will play nine consecutive road matches during Toyota Stadium renovations, the longest stretch in club history. This will kick off before the league’s pause for the 2026 World Cup in May and wrap up at the end of August.

FIFA World Cup break: The league will pause its schedule for the World Cup from May 25 through July 16.

No interrupted playoff schedule: Following Decision Day 2026 on November 7, the league will observe the November FIFA window before beginning one month of uninterrupted 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs action, culminating in 2026 MLS Cup. The complete postseason schedule will be announced at a later date.

First time against Charlotte: While the two clubs met in the 2023 Leagues Cup, FC Dallas will get its first match against Charlotte FC in league play when they visit the Queen City in early October.

Against the East: Including Charlotte and the opener against Toronto, Dallas will also face Nashville SC, D.C. United, the New York Red Bulls, and the Columbus Crew. Dallas last faced Toronto, D.C. United and the Red Bulls in the 2024 regular season and last faced Nashville and Columbus in 2023. Dallas will visit Charlotte FC for the first time.

Copa Tejas: There will be a pretty long stretch between games against the Houston Dynamo in 2026, with the first coming in March and the follow up in Houston in October. On the other hand, Dallas will see Austin twice within a month’s time.

Halloween game: Yes, Dallas will play a game on Halloween night. I believe this could be the first league game for Dallas on Halloween, but don’t hold me to that.

Wednesday night soccer: There will be seven mid-week games in the regular season for FC Dallas in 2026.

DALLAS – A Dallas police officer has been placed on administrative leave as the department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates a fatal crash from earlier this year. 

An attorney representing the victim’s family says a lack of transparency has only fueled their frustration.

Officer on leave after fatal crash 

What we know:

According to Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux, Senior Corporal Jaime Castro was placed on administrative leave last Friday. The department would not provide further details, saying only that the internal investigation remains active and ongoing.

DPA President identified

The backstory:

The case dates back to March 15, when Atianna Washington was struck and killed while crossing the 2500 block of West Northwest Highway. Police said the vehicle involved stopped at the scene.

FOX 4 cameras captured Castro, wearing a white T-shirt, speaking with other officers and shaking hands at the scene that night. 

Castro, a 26-year veteran of the department, joined the Dallas Police Department in 1998 and is currently assigned to the Operational Technology and Alarm Unit. 

He was elected president of the Dallas Police Association in January after serving on its executive board since 2016.

Questions on driver’s identity

What they’re saying:

Attorney Scott Palmer, who represents Washington’s family, said the family has struggled to get answers from police.

“When there’s an investigation into one of their own, an internal affairs investigation, we typically don’t get a lot of information,” Palmer said. “We don’t get reports, we don’t get body cams. So, it’s frustrating.”

Palmer said questions about who was driving the vehicle that hit Washington have lingered since the night of the crash.

“There’s always been an open question in my client’s mind, and in ours, as to who was driving,” he said. “The crash report says it was the girlfriend,” said Palmer.

Police have not identified Castro’s girlfriend, and no criminal charges have been filed in the case.

Internal investigation status

Dig deeper:

When contacted by FOX 4 on Thursday, Castro’s attorney declined to comment.

Palmer said he believes the internal affairs investigation is now gaining traction but expects the process to move slowly.

“There’s a lot of questions, very few answers,” he said. “She is the victim here. She’s young. She’s no longer able to speak for herself. That’s why the reports and the witness statements are all important. But we have a loss of life here, and this is critical, this is serious.”

What’s next:

Dallas police have not said whether the internal affairs investigation is directly related to the March crash. 

FOX 4 has requested body camera video, incident reports, and internal police records connected to the case.

The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office has not yet said whether the case will be presented to a grand jury.

If Dallas had a city-owned competitive indoor track, thousands of athletes from across the region and neighboring states would compete right here in our hometown.

While there are recreational indoor walking tracks in the Dallas area, there are currently no indoor track facilities that meet competition standards. Many recreation centers have small indoor tracks for walking or casual jogging, but none meet the size, surfacing or layout requirements needed to host high school or college meets.

Coaches from Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of North Texas and Texas Christian University all agree: Without an indoor track, teams must drive hours to compete or train.

As one of SMU’s coaches, Leo Settle put it, “Teams travel to College Station, Houston and Lubbock for indoor competition. There are four NCAA Division I programs in D-FW, and it would be a great facility for hosting home meets.”

Dallas is already funding a major reimagining of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Its expansion brings more conventions, tourism and year-round downtown activity. That expansion is the perfect opportunity to add an indoor track serving students, clubs and colleges.

Why build it now? Three reasons.

Athletes need it. Indoor season is not a luxury. It helps athletes refine technique, avoid injury in bad weather and remain competitive for outdoor track. UTD’s program — recently the subject of a petition to reinstate their track and cross country program — shows how essential local opportunities can be and how removing them disadvantages emerging athletes.

“An independent track, or one in partnership with a city or county, would be a huge advantage for North Texas,” said Stuart Kantor, executive director of the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association. There will be interest from college conferences, USA Track and Field, Amateur Athletic Union and the National Scholastic Athletics Foundation, he added.

John Joseph-Youssef, a former UTD athlete, agreed, “Indoor track bridges into the outdoor track season. It provides a controlled environment, free from wind and weather.”

The economic benefits are clear. Crowley High School in Fort Worth is building a $150 million indoor and outdoor track complex hosting state and regional meets, tournaments and events. Even at the high school level, indoor competition has taken off. For Dallas, a city of 1.3 million people, the absence of a comparable facility is a missed opportunity. LeTourneau University, in Longview, is also installing a facility, signaling growing interest in other parts of the state.

The timing couldn’t be better. Dallas voters have already supported investments in a new convention center to boost downtown activity. An athletic facility should be considered to turn a civic project into a community asset. Conference offices based in D-FW could bring championships here; high school meets could avoid all-day road trips; colleges could access invitationals they otherwise might miss.

This isn’t about elite programs. Coaches across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arkansas note that Division II and III teams often struggle to enter invitationals hosted by larger programs. An accessible indoor track would serve local athletes and competitors from across the region. That was the central message of the petition to save UTD’s programs: These sports expand access to higher education for students from diverse backgrounds.

City leaders are choosing what kind of Dallas to build. If the convention center expansion is supposed to increase activity, then let it be a place that supports our local athletes, provides a safe place to compete, and pays for itself. Choose the kind of city that keeps athletes in town and brings thousands of visitors here to compete and spend.

Dallas has the chance to lead and flourish. Include a portable indoor track in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center expansion during the indoor season — or build a permanent facility — and prioritize access for high schools, clubs and colleges.

Keely Aguilar is a Dallas high school student and competitive distance runner.