Chicago Fire 2026 Season Preview

This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘ Chicago Fire preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest and sports broadcaster Alex Campbell. You can find that video on Spotify below.

2025 Recap

After parting ways with the US Men’s National Team, Gregg Berhalter joined the Chicago Fire before the 2025 season with total control of the team. They rebuilt their roster and put up a 15-8-11 record.

While they had a very short playoff run, last season represented a monumental shift for the Fire.

The Chicago Fire improved their record by 23 points from the previous season, while rumors of big name transfers like Neymar, Müller, De Bruyne, and recently Lewandowsky circulated. While none of those signings came to pass, there was truth behind the rumors of Chicago seeking big names. The interest from Chicago showed ambition and reflected hope from the long-tormented fanbase.

As for the contributors, two recent additions landed atop the Fire scoresheet, with Philip Zinkernagel leading the way with 27 total goal contributions. Chicago tallied 68 total goals, second only to Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference. This was a huge improvement and- for me- put Gregg Berhalter in the Coach of the Year conversation.

Transactions

The Chicago Fire had plenty of player changes this offseason, as Berhalter continues to make his mark on the roster.

The biggest outgoing player was Brian Gutierrez, who went to Chivas Guadalajara in Liga MX and now pursues a spot on the Mexican National Team. As a provider and progressive player, he excelled past what his stats might show.

Incoming players include a full acquisition of Andre Franco, who will miss the first half of the season. Chicago brought in Robin Lod, who can fill in with quality at wing and midfield. Anton Salentros also brings a ton of quality, and should slot in right away as a midfield starter.

Depth Chart

With Brian Gutierrez out, we think the Fire are going to move to a 4-3-3 with more of a 6 and two 8s midfield look.

Hugo Cuypers has no depth behind him at striker, and forms a top three with Zinkernagel out right and Jonathan Bamba on the left. Of all the Fire’s offensive players, Bamba may be the lone man who didn’t live up to the hype last season. While the offense will mostly be unchanged, he represents an opportunity to improve in his second season, and improve the offense without bringing in anybody new.

There are a lot of questions about the backline. Mbekezeli Mbokazi had a great AFCON tournament and is going to be pushing for a starting spot. Chicago went with a 3/5 backline look, and could return to that formation at some point.

On the outside, Gutman, Barroso, Dean, and Radojevic provide a lot of options- attacking as wingbacks or playing more defensively as fullbacks.

Questions

Which player outside the projected 11 has the best chance at winning a starting job?
- Mbekezeli Mbokazi. He might already be a top CB on the team.
What are realistic expectations for 2026?
- Hoping for a 3rd-5th finish, but they’re more realistically in the middle of the pack, between 4rd-9th place in the East.
What are some storylines to follow throughout the season?
- Does Bamba step up and do what he was brought in to do? Does Chicago get ambitious after the World Cup and bring in a big name?

What styles do Chicago match up well against?
- Teams they can counter agaisnt.
What styles will Chicago struggle against?
- Teams that counterattack, teams that press high and force turnovers, catching the fullbacks out of position.