The 2026 Chicago Fire FC season is the club's 29th season in Major League Soccer. The season is the seventh season under owner Joe Mansueto, and the second with Gregg Berhalter as head coach.
Current squad Players signed as of November 1, 2025
No. Name Date of birth (age) Date Joined Previous club Player Notes Goalkeepers 1 Chris Brady March 24, 2020 Chicago Fire Academy Homegrown 25 Jeff Gal January 11, 2023 Degerfors IF 44 Josh Cohen December 31, 2025 Atlanta United Defenders 2 Leonardo Barroso January 14, 2025 Sporting CP B InternationalU-22 3 Jack Elliott December 16, 2024 Philadelphia Union TAM 4 Mbekezeli Mbokazi December 2, 2025 Orlando Pirates F.C. InternationalU-22 5 Sam Rogers January 13, 2025 Lillestrøm SK 15 Andrew Gutman December 12, 2023 Colorado Rapids 21 Andreas Hanche-Olsen September 2, 2026 Mainz 05 International 24 Jonathan Dean January 12, 2023 Birmingham Legion FC 32 Noah Allen September 3, 2026 Inter Miami On Loan from Inter MiamiU-22 Midfielders 6 Anton Salétros November 7, 2025 AIK International 7 Maren Haile-Selassie December 27, 2022 FC Lugano International 8 Chris Mueller May 5, 2022 Hibernian F.C. 10 André Franco August 13, 2025 FC Porto InternationalTAM 11 Philip Zinckernagel January 6, 2025 Club Brugge KV InternationalTAM 17 Robin Lod December 26, 2025 Minnesota United 19 Jonathan Bamba January 21, 2025 RC Celta de Vigo DPInternational 22 Mauricio Pineda January 17, 2020 North Carolina Tar Heels 23 Anzor Mekvabishvili September 2, 2026 Universitatea Craiova International 27 Dylan Borso December 20, 2024 Wake Forest Homegrown 29 David Poreba December 12, 2024 Chicago Fire FC II 35 Sergio Oregel October 23, 2021 Chicago Fire AcademyHomegrown 37 Robert Turdean January 22, 2025 Chicago Fire AcademyOff-Roster Homegrown 42 Djé D'Avilla April 1, 2025 U.D. Leiria InternationalU-22 Forwards 9 Robert Lewandowski June 29, 2026 FC Barcelona InternationalDesignated Player12 Puso Dithejane January 13, 2026 TS Galaxy F.C.InternationalU-2218 Johan Gómez September 2, 2026 Eintracht Braunschweig28 Dean Boltz December 20, 2024 University of Wisconsin
Loaned Out No. Name Date of birth (age) Date Joined Loaned To 14 Viktor Radojević August 22, 2025 CF Montréal 26 Omari Glasgow December 17, 2024 Monterey Bay FC 38 Christopher Cupps February 18, 2025 Greenock Morton 47 Sam Williams March 14, 2025 Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Temporary Players Below are players that joined the Fire from Fire II on short-term loans during the season. Players are allowed to be called up to four games and cannot play in more than two games. No. Name Position Date of birth (age) Games Joined For 30 Jack Sandmeyer Defender March 21 vs Philadelphia May 16 vs Montreal
Player movement
Returning, options, and new contracts DatePlayerPositionNotesRefNovember 26, 2025 Jack Elliott DF Option exercised November 26, 2025 David Poreba MF Signed to a new contract for 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028 November 26, 2025 Sam Williams MF Option exercised January 1, 2025 Omari Glasgow MF Returned from loan to Loudoun United FC
In DatePlayerPositionPrevious clubNotesRefNovember 7, 2025 Anton Salétros MF AIK Transferred from AIK on a contract through 2028 November 7, 2025 André Franco MF FC Porto Acquired from Porto permanently after a successful loan stint on a contract that runs through the middle of 2028 with an option for the remainder of the year December 2, 2025 Mbekezeli Mbokazi DF Orlando Pirates F.C. Acquired as a U-22 initiative player from Orlando on a contract that runs through 2029 with an option for the 2029/2030 season. December 10, 2025 Jason Shokalook FW Chicago Fire FC II Promoted from the second team after winning the 2025 MLS Next Pro golden boot, signing a contract for 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028 December 26, 2025 Robin Lod MF Minnesota United Joined the Fire as a free agent with a contract through the summer of 2008 December 31, 2025 Josh Cohen GK Atlanta United Joined the Fire as a free agent through the summer of 2027 with an option for the 2027-2028 season January 13, 2026 Puso Dithejane FW TS Galaxy F.C. Joined from Galaxy as a U-22 initiative player through the 2029-2030 season with an option for the 2030-2031 season June 29, 2026 Robert Lewandowski FW FC Barcelona Joined as a DP free agent on a contract through the end of the 2027-2028 season >
Out DatePlayerPositionDestination ClubNotesRefNovember 26, 2025 Omar Gonzalez DF Chicago Fire FC II Joined the Fire's second team as an assistant player-coach November 26, 2025 Tom Barlow FW FC Cincinnati Option declined November 26, 2025 Bryan Dowd GK FC Cincinnati 2 Option declined November 26, 2025 Chase Gasper DF Retired Out of contract, and subsequently retired November 26, 2025 Rominigue Kouamé MF Cádiz CF End of loan December 12, 2025 Brian Gutiérrez MF Chivas Transferred to Chivas for a multi-million-dollar fee with a future sell-on percentage December 13, 2025 Georgios Koutsias FW FC Lugano Formally transferred to Lugano after being on loan to them for the previous year December 30, 2025 Justin Reynolds DF Sporting Kansas City Transferred to SKC for up to $100k in GAM, SKC's natural third round draft pick in the 2028 SuperDraft, and a potential future sell-on fee if Reynolds is sold to a non-MLS side January 14, 2026 Kellyn Acosta MF Pogoń Szczecin Acosta and the Fire mutually agreed to part ways
Loaned Out DatePlayerPositionDestination ClubNotesRefFebruary 13, 2026 Sam Williams M Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC Loaned for the season February 13, 2026 Omari Glasgow M Monterey Bay FC Loaned for the season
Unsigned draft pick PlayerPositionPrevious clubNotesRefR1, P18 Jack Sandmeyer DF/MF UNC Signed with the second team
Technical staff
Non-competitive matches
Preseason For the third consecutive season, the Fire participated in the Coachella Valley Invitational. Prior to this they travelled to West Palm Beach in Florida for a week of training.
Competitions Major League Soccer Eastern Conference table
Overall table
Results summary
Match results
U.S. Open Cup
Leagues Cup
League Phase
Statistics Note: italics indicates a player who left during the season while * indicates a Fire II player that joined on a short-term loan or for the Open Cup
Games played NameMLSPlayoffsOpen CupLeagues CupTotalStartsMinutesStartsMinutesStartsMinutesStartsMinutesStartsMinutes1Chris Brady1414126022180161614402Leonardo Barroso77546775463Jack Elliott121210271250131410774Mbekezeli Mbokazi121210492121301314117925Sam Rogers11762117626Anton Salétros121210561276131411327Maren Haile-Selassie1114104912135121611848Chris Mueller15932159329Robert Lewandowski10André Franco11Philip Zinckernagel14141146221351616128112Puso Dithejane181666118027246614Viktor Radojević1611562217538290615Andrew Gutman91078811391180116Joel Waterman610644322180812824317Robin Lod1013860238101589819Jonathan Bamba896598965920Jason Shokalook838512110110148522Mauricio Pineda59448522180711628524Jonathan Dean911782111901012872125Jeff Gal1127Dylan Borso4755128316158528Dean Boltz29David Poreba612831283630Jack Sandmeyer*2235Sergio Oregel32692216825194937Robert Turdean38Christopher Cupps2422242242Djé D'Avilla101390021013900244Josh Cohen1321599Hugo Cuypers1111990116412121054
Goalkeeping NameMLSPlayoffsOpen CupLeagues CupTotalClean SheetsSavesClean SheetsSavesClean SheetsSavesClean SheetsSavesClean SheetsSaves1Chris Brady64616336491925Jeff Gal44Josh Cohen
Goals Player MLS Playoffs Open Cup Leagues Cup Total 1 Hugo Cuypers 13 132 Philip Zinckernagel 5 53 Maren Haile-Selassie 3 3 Robin Lod 3 35 Jonathan Bamba 2 2 Jason Shokalook 2 27 Andrew Gutman 1 1 Anton Salétros 1 1
Assists Player MLS Playoffs Open Cup Leagues Cup Total 1 Philip Zinckernagel 7 2 92 Maren Haile-Selassie 5 53 Jonathan Bamba 2 2 Hugo Cuypers 2 2 Jack Elliott 2 2 Andrew Gutman 2 2 Robin Lod 2 2 Anton Salétros 2 29 Djé D'Avilla 1 1 David Poreba 1 1 Jason Shokalook 1 1
Disciplinary record Player MLS Playoffs Open Cup Leagues Cup Total Matches Suspended 1 Jonathan Dean 1 1 1 1 March 7th vs Columbus Puso Dithejane 1 1 1 1 April 29th vs St. Louis (Open Cup)3 Djé D'Avilla 5 5 May 16th vs Montreal4 Joel Waterman 2 2 4 Philip Zinckernagel 4 4 6 Jack Elliott 3 3 Andrew Gutman 3 3 Viktor Radojević 2 1 3 Anton Salétros 3 3 10 Jonathan Bamba 2 2 Mbekezeli Mbokazi 2 2 12 Leonardo Barroso 1 1 Dylan Borso 1 1 Chris Brady 1 1 Hugo Cuypers 1 1 Maren Haile-Selassie 1 1 Robin Lod 1 1 Chris Mueller 1 1 Sergio Oregel 1 1 Mauricio Pineda 1 1
Awards
Fire Player of the Month MonthPlayerReferenceFebruary and March Hugo CuypersApril Chris BradyMay Philip Zinckernagel
MLS Team of the Matchday MatchdayPlayerPositionReference3 Chris Brady (1)Goalkeeper5 Hugo Cuypers (1)Striker6 Chris Brady (2)Goalkeeper7 Mbekezeli Mbokazi (1)Bench8 Hugo Cuypers (2)Bench10 Philip Zinckernagel (1)Midfielder Hugo Cuypers (2)Bench13 Chris Brady (3)Goalkeeper14 Chris Brady (4)Goalkeeper Mbekezeli Mbokazi (2)Defender Philip Zinckernagel (2)Bench15 Andrew GutmanDefender
All-Star Game
PlayerStats Hugo Cuypers Mbekezeli Mbokazi
Notes </onlyinclude>
References
External links