Gordon Jago died Friday night in his sleep at his DFW-area home at the age of 92, according to FC Dallas.
DALLAS — Gordon Jago, a man instrumental to the growth of soccer in Dallas-Fort Worth, died Friday night at the age of 92, according to local officials.
The Dallas Cup, where Jago served as executive director of the world-renowned international youth tournament from 2002-2012, shared the news of his passing on Sunday.
England-born, Jago came to America in the late 1960s as the Baltimore Bays coach, a National Professional Soccer League (NPSL), and would later serve as coach of the U.S. men’s national team (1969), as well as the Dallas Sidekicks head coach, the indoor soccer powerhouse. He coached the Sidekicks from the mid-1980s to the late-1990s in two separate stints.
Jago became the executive director of the Dallas Cup in 2002 and helped build it into one of the most elite youth soccer tournaments in the world. The top division in the youth tournament was named after Jago in 2012 – now called the Gordon Jago Super Group, which showcases the best U19 talent.
Jago believed in bringing in the best players in the world, no matter where they were from, to compete in Dallas, which has culminated in a prestigious Dallas Cup alumni base. A partial alumni list includes the likes of David Beckham, Clint Dempsey, Chicharito, Landon Donovan, Raul, Andrea Pirlo, Michael Bradley, and Wayne Rooney, as well as rising stars like Alphonso Davies, Bukayo Saka, and Weston McKennie, per the Dallas Cup website.
Dempsey was among many who paid tribute to Jago on social media in wake of his passing.
“Rest easy Gordon, thank you for what you have done for ⚽️,” Dempsey wrote.
“Thanks for everything Gordon! A true gentleman and ambassador of the game in Dallas and the World. RIP🙏,” wrote FC Dallas legend Kenny Cooper.
“Gordon was more than a soccer icon; he was a mentor, a builder, and a beloved figure in our community. I had the privilege of playing in the Dallas Cup twice, and even as a young player, I could feel the energy and excellence Gordon built into the tournament,“ said FC Dallas President and former Dallas Cup participant Dan Hunt. “It wasn’t just a competition; it was an experience shaped by his passion for the game and his commitment to developing young talent from around the world. Gordon helped put Dallas on the global soccer map, and his legacy will continue to inspire all of us at FC Dallas and beyond. I will miss him greatly and am forever grateful for his friendship and the example he set.”
Jago was inducted as one of the first members of the FC Dallas Walk of Fame in 2005 and into the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.
In 2006, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his lifetime of service to soccer.
“Thank you, Gordon. You will be deeply missed,” the Dallas Cup concluded in its post.