2016 MLS Coach of the Year, Supporters’ Shield winner and two-time U.S. Open Cup champion brings proven leadership to the Black-and-Red
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 14, 2026) - D.C. United announced today that Óscar Pareja has been named the club’s new Head Coach. Pareja, who has signed a multiyear contract, will begin his tenure with the 2027 Major League Soccer Sprint Season.
"Óscar is a proven leader in Major League Soccer with an established track record of building competitive teams, developing talent and achieving success at the highest level,” said Dr. Erkut Sogut, D.C. United Managing Director of Soccer Operations. “His experience and understanding of the league make him the right person to lead our club forward. We are confident in his ability to establish a clear identity, build a strong foundation, and bring sustained success to D.C. United. We look forward to working together as we begin this next chapter for the club.”
Pareja, 58, joins D.C. United with an extensive track record of success in MLS, having previously led the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas and Orlando City SC. A 2016 MLS Coach of the Year and two-time U.S. Open Cup champion, Pareja brings more than a decade of MLS head coaching experience, having guided his teams to the playoffs in 10 of his last 11 full MLS seasons. His tenure has been highlighted by a Supporters’ Shield, two U.S. Open Cup titles and a consistent record of building competitive teams while developing talent.
The Colombian-born manager began his coaching career as an assistant coach with FC Dallas in 2006 before being named Director of Player Development for the FC Dallas youth system. After building the FC Dallas Academy into a top-ranked player development system in MLS, Pareja was named Head Coach of the Colorado Rapids in 2012. He spent two seasons in Colorado before returning to FC Dallas as Head Coach in 2014.
During his tenure with FC Dallas from 2014 to 2018, Pareja compiled a 78-49-43 regular-season record, leading the club to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in four of his five seasons. His most successful campaign came in 2016, when he guided FC Dallas to a historic domestic double, capturing both the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Supporters’ Shield. That season, Pareja was named MLS Coach of the Year after leading Dallas to the league’s best regular-season record. Under his leadership, FC Dallas also became the first MLS club to record consecutive 60-point seasons, in 2015 and 2016. Following the 2018 season, Pareja spent one season leading Club Tijuana in Liga MX.
Pareja most recently spent six seasons at the helm of Orlando City SC from 2020 to 2026, where he built a perennial contender and became the winningest head coach in club history, recording 103 victories across all competitions. Before his arrival, Orlando City had never reached the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. Pareja changed that trajectory immediately, guiding the club to six consecutive postseason appearances, a club record and one of the longest active playoff streaks in MLS. He led Orlando to the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament Final, the club’s first final in its MLS era, delivered its first major MLS-era trophy with the 2022 U.S. Open Cup, and took the club to the 2024 Eastern Conference Final.
As a player, Pareja enjoyed a successful professional career in his native Colombia, making 385 appearances with Independiente Medellín and Deportivo Cali before joining Major League Soccer in 1998. The midfielder began his MLS career with the New England Revolution before being traded to the Dallas Burn later that season, where he went on to make 196 appearances, scoring 13 goals and recording 33 assists. At the international level, Pareja earned 11 caps with the Colombian National Team between 1991 and 1996, scoring three goals.
