Chicago Fire Football Club is an American professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
club based in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. The club competes in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
(MLS) as a member of the
Eastern Conference. The Fire play their home games at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
, which they share with the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL).
The franchise, named in memory of the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...
of 1871, was founded as the Chicago Fire Soccer Club on October 8, 1997, the Great Fire's 126th anniversary. The team began play in 1998 as one of the league's first expansion teams. The Fire won the
MLS Cup
MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Confere ...
as well as the
U.S. Open Cup (the
"double") in their first season in 1998. They also won U.S. Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006, in addition to the 2003
MLS Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 199 ...
. Although finishing near the bottom of the league consistently, Chicago Fire FC is valued at over $500 million.
The club maintains an extensive development system, consisting of the Chicago Fire Development Academy and the Chicago Fire Juniors youth organization. They also operate the Chicago Fire Foundation, the team's community-based charitable division.
History
Overview
Chicago Fire FC was founded as Chicago Fire Soccer Club on October 8, 1997. The club is named after the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...
of 1871; the official founding date of the team was the 126th anniversary of that event. The owner and chairman of the Fire is
Joe Mansueto
Joseph Daniel Mansueto (born September 3, 1956) is an American billionaire entrepreneur; the founder, majority owner and executive chairman of Morningstar, Inc. He is also the owner of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC and Swiss Super Leag ...
, who purchased the club in 2019. The club president is Ishwara Glassman-Chrein; Georg Heitz was appointed sporting director in December 2019; The Fire were originally based at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
from 1997 to 2006. From 2006 to 2019, the club played at
SeatGeek Stadium
SeatGeek Stadium is a football-specific stadium, soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II ...
, a stadium originally built for the club, at 71st and Harlem Avenue in
Bridgeview. In 2019, with the change of ownership to Joe Mansueto, the Fire returned to Soldier Field for the 2020 MLS season. The Fire are currently one of the most successful clubs in the
U.S. Open Cup, winning championships in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006.
Many notable players have worn the Fire shirt, including U.S. internationals
Chris Armas
Christopher Armas (born August 27, 1972) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Youth and college
Born in The Bronx, New York City, Armas is of Puerto R ...
,
Carlos Bocanegra
Carlos Manuel Bocanegra (born May 25, 1979) is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. A two-time MLS Defender of the Year, Bocanegra also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. He earned over ...
,
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
,
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley (; born May 24, 1982) is an American former professional Association football, soccer player. A left-footed player, Beasley played both as a left winger and Defender (association football), left-wing back throughout his ...
,
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former association football, soccer player who played as a forward (association football), forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham F.C., Fulham and Chicago Fire SC, Chicago Fire. He is the sixt ...
,
Tony Sanneh
Anthony Sanneh (born June 1, 1971) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender or midfielder.
Club career
Youth and college
Tony Sanneh was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota to an African father from Gambia and an Am ...
,
Cory Gibbs
Cory Gibbs (born January 14, 1980) is an American former soccer player. A defender, played professionally for clubs in Germany, the Netherlands and England. He also played 19 international matches for the U.S. national soccer team, including a ...
,
Ante Razov
Ante Razov (born March 2, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former player who is an assistant coach for Los Angeles FC. A prolific forward, Razov is one of the leading goal scorers in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the all- ...
,
Josh Wolff
Joshua David Wolff (born February 25, 1977) is an American soccer coach and former player.
Playing career College
Wolff was born in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He played three years of college soccer at the University of South Carolina, where he ...
,
Eric Wynalda
Eric Boswell Wynalda (born June 9, 1969) is an American soccer coach, television commentator, and former player. He was formerly an analyst and color commentator for soccer coverage on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN. Previously, he served as head coach ...
and
Jon Busch
Jon Busch (born August 18, 1976) is an American professional soccer coach and former player, who played as a goalkeeper. Busch is currently the goalkeeping coach for USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
He is best remembered for hi ...
. Some of the club's other notable American professional players include
C.J. Brown,
Jesse Marsch
Jesse Alan Marsch ( ; born November 8, 1973) is an American professional association football, soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of the Canada men's national soccer team, Canada men's national team. Marsch played 14 seasons ...
,
Chris Rolfe, and
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton (born October 10, 1973) is an American soccer player who is goalkeeping coach for Chicago Fire FC. A goalkeeper, he spent 16 seasons in Major League Soccer with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996–97), Chicago Fire (1998� ...
. The Fire also have a reputation for importing international talent, from established veterans like
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger ( , ; born 1 August 1984) is a German former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Earlier in his career, he primarily played as a wide midfielder before later switching to a central mi ...
,
Pável Pardo,
Piotr Nowak
Piotr "Peter" Nowak (; born 5 July 1964) is a Polish professional football manager and former player. He was most recently in charge of Ekstraklasa club Jagiellonia Białystok.
Nowak played in Europe for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszc ...
,
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (; born 17 January 1973) is a Mexican politician and former professional footballer serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
He served as the Governor of Morelos from 2018 to 2024 under the coalition ''Juntos H ...
,
Tomasz Frankowski
Tomasz Frankowski (; born 16 August 1974) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. With 168 goals in 302 matches in Polish Ekstraklasa he is the league's third all-time scorer and was top league goalscorer four times. ...
,
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík (born 20 January 1964) is a former Czech professional footballer who played as a midfielder or defender. He represented the former Czechoslovakia at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and then the Czech Republic in their runners-up-finishing ...
,
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov (; born 8 February 1966) is a Bulgarian former professional Association football, footballer and current football commentator for TUDN. A prolific Forward (association football), forward, he is widely regarded as the g ...
and
Jorge Campos
Jorge Campos Navarrete (born 15 October 1966) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and, mostly at club level, striker.
A notable player of Mexico in the 1990s and early 2000s, Campos was an eccentric player, ...
; in addition to younger players such as
Patrick Nyarko,
Marco Pappa
Marco Pablo Pappa Ponce (born 15 November 1987) is a Guatemalan professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder.
Club career
Born in Guatemala City, Pappa, who plays as a Midfielder (football)#Winger, winger, joined his ...
,
Damani Ralph,
Bakary Soumaré and
Nery Castillo.
Chicago was once the home of the
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting (1974–1988) was an American professional soccer team representing Chicago. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League in the 1982–83 season and again from ...
who competed in the top-level
North American Soccer League
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to
1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...
(NASL) from 1975 to 1984. They spread their home games at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
,
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a ballpark on the North Side, Chicago, North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charl ...
, and
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-south side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Built by Wh ...
. The Sting won the
Soccer Bowl
The Soccer Bowl was the annual championship game of the North American Soccer League (NASL), which ran from 1968 to 1984. The two top teams from the playoffs faced off in the final to determine the winner of the NASL Trophy. From the league's ...
twice:
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
and
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. They were the only club other than the
New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to
* New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada)
* New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Indepen ...
to win multiple titles in the NASL. Some of the club's notable players were Argentine striker
Pato Margetic and German forwards
Karl-Heinz Granitza
Karl-Heinz Granitza (born 1 November 1951) is a German former professional footballer who played as a forward. In the United States, he is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Granitza was born in Lünen, North Rhine-Westphalia. He ...
and
Arno Steffenhagen.
Foundation and initial success (1997–2000)
Founded in 1997 at
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a pier on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side, Chicago, Near North Side community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Navy Pier encompasses over of shops, restaura ...
, on the anniversary of the
Great Fire, the Fire immediately tapped into the diverse ethnic makeup of the city. The team brought in Polish players Piotr Nowak,
Jerzy Podbrożny
Jerzy "Gumiś" Podbrożny (born 17 December 1966) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the player-manager of Orzeł Kampinos.
Biography
Podbrożny led the Polish league in scoring: in 1992 with 20 goals and ...
, and
Roman Kosecki
Roman Jacek Kosecki (born 15 February 1966) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a striker. In 1994, he was voted the Polish Footballer of the Year.
Career
In his club career, Kosecki played for RKS URSUS, Gwardia Warsaw, ...
; the Mexican
Jorge Campos
Jorge Campos Navarrete (born 15 October 1966) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper and, mostly at club level, striker.
A notable player of Mexico in the 1990s and early 2000s, Campos was an eccentric player, ...
; and the Czech
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík (born 20 January 1964) is a former Czech professional footballer who played as a midfielder or defender. He represented the former Czechoslovakia at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and then the Czech Republic in their runners-up-finishing ...
. While all showed their talent while playing for Chicago that first year, American players (
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton (born October 10, 1973) is an American soccer player who is goalkeeping coach for Chicago Fire FC. A goalkeeper, he spent 16 seasons in Major League Soccer with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996–97), Chicago Fire (1998� ...
,
Chris Armas
Christopher Armas (born August 27, 1972) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Youth and college
Born in The Bronx, New York City, Armas is of Puerto R ...
,
C.J. Brown) proved most integral to the Fire's continued success. Under the club's first head coach,
Bob Bradley
Robert Frank Bradley (born March 3, 1958) is an American association football, soccer coach, who most recently managed Norwegian football team Stabæk Fotball, Stabæk fron 2023 - 2024.
A native of New Jersey and graduate of Princeton Universi ...
—and against all expectation—the team completed the double in its first competitive year, beating
D.C. United in the
1998 MLS Cup Final, and defeating the
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 cha ...
in Chicago to win the
1998 U.S. Open Cup
The 1998 U.S. Open Cup ran from June through October, 1998, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
The first-year Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire won the Cup with a 2–1 overtime victory over the Columbus Crew at Soldier Field in ...
a week later.
The team's momentum continued, winning the
2000 U.S. Open Cup over the
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team played from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one ...
and reaching the
2000 MLS Cup final, losing to the
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The administrative offices are located in downtown K ...
. Internationally experienced players such as
Hristo Stoitchkov joined the Fire, while young American talents such as
DaMarcus Beasley
DaMarcus Lamont Beasley (; born May 24, 1982) is an American former professional Association football, soccer player. A left-footed player, Beasley played both as a left winger and Defender (association football), left-wing back throughout his ...
developed. The Fire quickly became cemented as one of the league's preeminent teams.
Nomadic times (2002–2004)
With Soldier Field undergoing massive renovations, the Fire moved to the western Chicago suburb of
Naperville
Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,540, making it the state's ...
in 2002. That same year, Bob Bradley abruptly departed the team to lead the
MetroStars, from his home state of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. The Fire then selected the
U.S. men's national team's top assistant,
Dave Sarachan
Dave Sarachan (born June 7, 1954) is an American former soccer player and coach. Sarachan spent two seasons as a player in the North American Soccer League and four in Major Indoor Soccer League before retiring in 1982. Since then, he has coa ...
, to assume the vacant post.
Chicago qualified for
the league final while also capturing the
Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 199 ...
and
2003 U.S. Open Cup along the way. The team returned to Chicago and the renovated Soldier Field midway through the 2003 season.
After that season, longtime captain Piotr Nowak retired to take a position in the front office. He departed a year later to become manager of
D.C. United. In this period new talent emerged, including Jamaican striker
Damani Ralph. Still, stagnating performances and the building strength of the
Eastern Conference made Chicago's league position ever more tenuous. In 2004, the team missed the league playoffs for the first time in their history.
Turmoil, and a permanent home (2005–2007)
The 2005 season began with the unexpected dismissal of popular club president
Peter Wilt by then-owners
AEG The initials AEG are used for or may refer to:
Common meanings
* AEG (German company)
; AEG) was a German producer of electrical equipment. It was established in 1883 by Emil Rathenau as the ''Deutsche Edison-Gesellschaft für angewandte El ...
, a move decried by fans, many players, and club staff. This came as a shock, given his brokering of a $100m deal to build the Fire a stadium in the collar suburb of
Bridgeview. He was immediately replaced by
MetroStars executive
John Guppy.
Competitively, the season was most notable for the blockbuster visit of
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
from Italy's
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, and the surprising 4–0 away defeat of
D.C. United in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
2006 arrived, and the Fire moved from Soldier Field into its new stadium in Bridgeview, a southwest suburb of Chicago:
Toyota Park
SeatGeek Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II of MLS Next Pro, and th ...
, located at the corner of 71st Street and Harlem Avenue. In its first season, it played host to an unspectacular league campaign; but victory in the
2006 U.S. Open Cup marked a continuation of the club's successes and promise for the future.
The anxiety to win another league title continued to grow, however.
Sarachan entered 2007 (his fifth season in charge) under intense pressure from fans and the administration to produce a league championship. Tension mounted further on April 3, 2007, when the Fire signed
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and
América star
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (; born 17 January 1973) is a Mexican politician and former professional footballer serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
He served as the Governor of Morelos from 2018 to 2024 under the coalition ''Juntos H ...
to a
Designated Player contract. After a perfect three matches to open the year, they won only one of their next eight, and Sarachan was dismissed. Following a brief search,
Millonarios manager
Juan Carlos Osorio
Juan Carlos Osorio Arbeláez (; born 8 June 1961) is a Colombian football manager and former footballer.
Osorio began his playing career with Deportivo Pereira in 1982, and went on to play for Brazilian club Internacional in 1984 before re ...
was named the club's third head coach.
Andell Inc. acquisition of the Fire (2007–2009)
More change came soon afterward. On September 6, 2007,
Andell Holdings
Andell Holdings is a private investment firm and one of the nation's leading family offices. Andell invests directly in private and public companies and real estate, acquiring control and minority stakes, as well as with top-tier investment mana ...
, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm controlled by chairman
Andrew Hauptman, acquired
AEG The initials AEG are used for or may refer to:
Common meanings
* AEG (German company)
; AEG) was a German producer of electrical equipment. It was established in 1883 by Emil Rathenau as the ''Deutsche Edison-Gesellschaft für angewandte El ...
's interest in the Chicago Fire Soccer Club. Reports estimated the purchase price to be upwards of $35 million. The team has not won a major trophy since Hauptman bought the team.
On the field, behind Blanco and
Wilman Conde, Osorio's central defender at Millionarios, the Fire went on an extended unbeaten run to close the season, easily qualifying for the playoffs but were defeated at
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
in the Eastern Conference Final. On December 10, 2007, the Fire announced Osorio's resignation. He was named manager of the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conferenc ...
eight days later. Hauptman filed tampering charges with the league in protest, and the Fire were compensated by the Red Bulls with cash and draft picks.
Changes came quickly in Osorio's wake. On January 17, 2008, former Fire star
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
was named Technical Director in charge of player personnel, and longtime Fire assistant
Denis Hamlett was appointed manager. While the Fire struggled at home in
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
the team found unusual success on the road, gathering 22 out of a possible 45 away points. Momentum grew with the long-anticipated signing of Chicago native
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former association football, soccer player who played as a forward (association football), forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham F.C., Fulham and Chicago Fire SC, Chicago Fire. He is the sixt ...
on a free transfer in July 2008. After disposing of the Red Bulls 5–2 in the season's final game, they decisively conquered New England in the first round of the playoffs with a 3–0 victory at home. This was Chicago's first playoff advancement over the Revolution in four consecutive seasons. But triumph only lasted for a week, as they again missed the league final with their 2–1 Eastern Conference Final loss to eventual champion
Columbus.
The
2009 season saw few alterations to the previous year's roster. The story of the season was much the same, as continued poor home form offset excellent performances away from Toyota Park. This led to a second place Eastern Conference finish behind Columbus. Despite this,
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...
managed to upset the Crew in the quarterfinals, meaning Chicago would host the semi-final for the first time in six years. Chicago's nearly flawless home playoff history meant little in the end, as they lost to Salt Lake, 5–3, on penalties after 120 scoreless minutes. Shortly thereafter, manager Denis Hamlett was dismissed.
A team in flux (2010–2012)

Leading up to
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
, Chicago hired
Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos Martínez (born 10 December 1958) is a Mexican former professional football player and manager who last managed El Salvador.
Playing career
As a player, de los Cobos spent the majority of his playing career in his native Me ...
as head coach, previously manager of
El Salvador
El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...
.
Cuauhtémoc Blanco
Cuauhtémoc Blanco Bravo (; born 17 January 1973) is a Mexican politician and former professional footballer serving as a member of the Chamber of Deputies.
He served as the Governor of Morelos from 2018 to 2024 under the coalition ''Juntos H ...
,
Chris Rolfe and
Gonzalo Segares all departed. More changes came in the summer transfer window with the trade of
Justin Mapp to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, the acquisition of Mexican international striker
Nery Castillo, and the trade for former Swedish international midfielder
Freddie Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg ( ; born 16 April 1977) is a Swedish former professional association football, footballer who played as a Midfielder#Winger, winger. He is also a former Manager (association football), manager, and was most recent ...
. Defender
Gonzalo Segares returned to the Fire, leaving
Apollon Limassol
Apollon Limassol FC (, ''Apollon Lemesou'') is a Cypriot sports club, based in Limassol. It has football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1954, Apollon FC currently plays in the Cypriot First Division and has won the championship tit ...
after only six months away. Despite these reinforcements, the Fire failed to qualify for the playoffs for only the second time in club history. Former U.S. international
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former association football, soccer player who played as a forward (association football), forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham F.C., Fulham and Chicago Fire SC, Chicago Fire. He is the sixt ...
and club original
C.J. Brown retired at season's end, followed closely by the departures of
Wilman Conde, Ljungberg, and Castillo.
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
began much in the way of 2010, with foundering performances both home and away. After nine winless matches,
Carlos de los Cobos
Carlos de los Cobos Martínez (born 10 December 1958) is a Mexican former professional football player and manager who last managed El Salvador.
Playing career
As a player, de los Cobos spent the majority of his playing career in his native Me ...
was let go on May 30, 2011. Technical Director
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
was named interim head coach. Behind summer reinforcements
Pável Pardo and
Sebastián Grazzini
Sebastián Hugo Grazzini (born 25 January 1981) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder.
Career
Grazzini has played for a number of clubs in Argentina, Spain, Belgium, Venezuela and Italy. He beg ...
, as well as forward
Dominic Oduro's 12 goals after being acquired in a trade from
Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
and Dan Gargan's defensive addition, the Fire qualified for the
U.S. Open Cup Final (lost at
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
) and narrowly missed making the playoffs after gaining 24 points in their last 12 league matches. After the season's conclusion, Klopas was given the permanent manager job on November 3, 2011.
Although expectations were modest for
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, Klopas' first full season as coach, the year saw a change in fortune for the Fire. The spring and summer months saw several new acquisitions for the club, starting with the reacquiring of
Chris Rolfe from
Aalborg BK
Aalborg Boldspilklub is a Danish sports club based in the city of Aalborg. The club is also known as AaB for short (cf. logo) or Aalborg BK. Through time the club has had branches in cricket, tennis, ice hockey, handball, and basketball, but curr ...
. Rolfe, who scored eight goals and 12 assists in the 21 games he played in 2012, would later be named the Fire's MVP. Other signings included Brazilian midfielders
Alex Monteiro de Lima from the Swiss side
FC Wohlen
FC Wohlen is a Swiss football club based in the town Wohlen in Canton Aargau. They play in the Swiss 1. Liga, the fourth tier of football in the country.
The club was founded in May 1904 and holds the honour of being the oldest football club i ...
,
Alvaro Fernández from
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
, forward
Sherjill MacDonald from
Beerschot AC
Koninklijke Beerschot Antwerpen Club (), simply known as Beerschot AC, was a Belgian football club based in southern Antwerp. Beerschot played in the Belgian Pro League from 1999–2000 (as Germinal Beerschot) until 2012–13, when they were ...
of Belgium and veteran defender
Arne Friedrich
Arne Friedrich (born 29 May 1979) is a German football executive and former player who played as a defender. He formerly was the sporting director of Hertha BSC.
He played 82 times for the Germany national team.
Friedrich was a very versatil ...
from
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg (), is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of Wolfsburg. I ...
. Although they would fall out of the U.S. Open tournament early that season, the Fire eventually compiled a 17–11–6 record, their best since 2000, and ranked as high as second in the Eastern Conference before ending the year in fourth place. On October 31, 2012, in their first playoff appearance since 2009, the Fire lost their first-round
MLS Cup
MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Playoffs. The game is held in November or December and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Confere ...
playoff match-up at home against the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
, 2–1.
Missing the playoffs (2013–2015)
In the 2012–2013 offseason, the franchise made some moves to improve on 2012's success. The team acquired
Joel Lindpere and
Jeff Larentowicz and also traded
Dominic Oduro for
Dilly Duka and the rights to
Robbie Rogers
Robert Hampton Rogers III (born May 12, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player. He played as a winger and as a left back. Rogers has also represented the United States men's national soccer team. In February 2013, Rogers came ou ...
. The beginning of the season saw the team struggling to score goals, resulting in a record of 2–5–1 through April. After two successive losses to the Union in May, and with veteran
Arne Friedrich
Arne Friedrich (born 29 May 1979) is a German football executive and former player who played as a defender. He formerly was the sporting director of Hertha BSC.
He played 82 times for the Germany national team.
Friedrich was a very versatil ...
still on injured reserve, the Fire acquired their former centerback
Bakary Soumaré from Philadelphia. Also in May, Robbie Rogers expressed an interest to play in Southern California, at which point a deal was brokered for Rogers' rights in exchange for Chicago native
Mike Magee from the
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...
. On June 23, 2013, Friedrich, who had not played a 2012–13 game due to recurring injuries, announced his retirement. After starting the season 2–7–3, the additions of Soumare and Magee led to seven wins in the squad's last 10 games. The Fire were busy in the transfer window as well, adding veteran defensive midfielder
Arévalo Ríos and forward
Juan Luis Anangonó
Juan Luis Anangonó (born 13 April 1989) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays a striker who currently plays for Marathón.
Club career
Barcelona SC
His professional debut came in a 1–0 defeat against Universidad Católica, on ...
. The Chicago Fire also advanced to host the semifinal of the
2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but fell 2–0 to eventual champions
D.C. United. Alleged fan actions in the stadium that night led to a famous editorial piece, "What it means to be a part of the Fire family", being penned by the club's Director of Communications, which was seen as an odd attack on the fan base and widely panned by local and national media. After a 12–6–6 finish to the season, the Fire narrowly missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four years—losing out to the Montreal Impact on goal difference. On October 30, 2013, the club announced that the president of soccer operations Javier Leon and head coach
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
had stepped down, but the Fire front office had a replacement one day later.
On October 31, 2013, Chicago Fire named
Frank Yallop
Frank Walter Yallop (born 4 April 1964) is a British-Canadian professional soccer coach and former player.
He played 13 years in England for Ipswich Town, including the club's first three seasons in the Premier League. He also played in Major ...
as its new head coach and director of soccer. On December 5, 2013, Fire MVP Mike Magee became the first Fire player to win the
MLS MVP Award—beating out
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...
's
Robbie Keane
Robert David Keane (born 8 July 1980) is an Irish professional football coach and former player who played as a striker and is currently the head coach of Ferencváros. Keane served as captain of the Republic of Ireland from March 2006 until h ...
and
Montreal Impact's
Marco Di Vaio for the honor.

Meanwhile, Yallop was busy recruiting a new coaching staff which included "Ring of Fire" member and Chicago Fire veteran
C. J. Brown and former U.S. International striker
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis (born November 25, 1976) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward or midfielder. He appeared at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal. He also played in Major League Soccer for the MetroStars, wh ...
as the team's assistant coaches, adding Columbus Crew's
Brian Bliss as Technical Director. Former Fire forward
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former association football, soccer player who played as a forward (association football), forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham F.C., Fulham and Chicago Fire SC, Chicago Fire. He is the sixt ...
was added as an assistant coach in May 2014 for a short-term assignment.
The shake-up extended to the roster, as Yallop moved team veterans and starters and brought in youth prospects—reforming the team while freeing up cap space. Major exits in early 2014 included
Chris Rolfe,
Austin Berry,
Jalil Anibaba,
Daniel Paladini, and
Paolo Tornaghi
Paolo Tornaghi (born 21 June 1988) is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
Club career
Youth career
Born in Garbagnate Milanese, the Province of Milan, Tornaghi started his career with Inter Milan. Tornaghi had played for Inter f ...
. Filling that void was a handful of youth prospects including
Harrison Shipp (
homegrown player),
Benji Joya (via MLS "weighted lottery"), and Grant Ward on loan from
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
. Despite rarely looking like a team that could advance to the
MLS Cup Playoffs, the team once again advanced to the semifinals of the
2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, but were routed 6–0 by eventual champions
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
on August 13. The result was the worst competitive defeat in club history and saw Frank Yallop issue an apology to Chicago Fire supporters on the club's official website. As the Cup run had, the season ended in disappointment, with the Fire ending the season with a 6–18–10 record, with 18 draws, also setting a record for most draws in an MLS season in the process.
The club began 2015 with renewed hope, bringing three new Designated Player signings in
David Accam,
Shaun Maloney
Shaun Richard Maloney (born 24 January 1983) is a Scottish association football, football coach, and former player. He was most recently the manager of club Wigan Athletic. Maloney played for Celtic F.C., Celtic, Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa, ...
and
Kennedy Igboananike to bolster an anemic attack. The club also signed products
Michael Stephens and
Eric Gehrig as well as Trinindad & Tobago international
Joevin Jones. With so many new pieces needing to adjust, 2015 marked the first time in club history the side began the season with an 0–3–0 record, but they showed signs of recovery by winning their next three matches. Unfortunately, April was the last time the club would be anywhere near equal on wins and losses, but the side did still advance to another
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Playing in front of a sparse crowd at the
Philadelphia Union
The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the Union began ...
's
PPL Park
Subaru Park is a soccer-specific stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania, located next to Commodore Barry Bridge on the waterfront along the Delaware River. The venue is home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Subaru Park was designed ...
, the Fire fell 1–0 at the same hurdle for the third straight season. Less than two weeks later, Maloney, who was the club's center piece offseason signing, was transferred back to England with
Hull City
Hull City Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. They play their home ...
citing personal reasons.
Despite no hope for a Cup final, widespread fan protests and dim likelihood of a playoff berth, the club didn't part ways with Frank Yallop until September 20, 2015, one day after another listless 1–0 home defeat to
Orlando City SC
Orlando City Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Owned by Zygi, Leonard, and Mark Wilf, it is the sister club of ...
. Along with Yallop's departure, the club announced it had named long-time MLS executive Nelson Rodríguez as the club's new general manager, with his first job being to commence a search for a new head coach. Technical director Brian Bliss was given the interim head coaching job, with former player and current club vice president
Logan Pause assisting for the remaining five matches. The club has finished the 2015 season with an overall record of 8 wins, 20 losses and 6 ties. For the first time in the club's history Fire finished the season with zero road wins (0–12–5). Twenty losses in a season became the highest in the club's history.
Final years in Bridgeview, Illinois (2016–2019)
On November 18, 2015, Rodriguez made his first moves as GM, firing most of Yallop's remaining technical staff, including goalkeeping coach Aron Hyde, fitness coach Adrian Lamb and Director of Scouting Trevor James. Rodriguez also parted ways with the club's long-time Director of First Team Operations Ron Stern, Equipment Manager Charles Raycroft and Assistant Equipment Manager Allan Araujo. On November 24, 2015, the club announced that
Veljko Paunovic, former coach of the Serbian U-20 side that won the
2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the twentieth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup since its inception in 1977 as the FIFA World Youth Championship. The competition took place for the first time in New Zealand, the third time on Oceanian soil after ...
, had been named the new head coach of the Chicago Fire. On January 5, 2016, technical director
Brian Bliss also departed the Fire to join Sporting Kansas City as Director of Player Personnel, completing the total overhaul of the technical staff.
On March 21, 2017
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
allowed
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger ( , ; born 1 August 1984) is a German former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Earlier in his career, he primarily played as a wide midfielder before later switching to a central mi ...
to join Chicago Fire, subject to a medical and a visa being secured. The move from Manchester United was completed on March 29, 2017.
On July 11, 2018, the club announced that Hauptman had sold a 49 percent stake of his ownership to
Joe Mansueto
Joseph Daniel Mansueto (born September 3, 1956) is an American billionaire entrepreneur; the founder, majority owner and executive chairman of Morningstar, Inc. He is also the owner of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC and Swiss Super Leag ...
, the founder of
Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is an American financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded by Joe Mansueto in 1984. It provides an array of investment research and investment management services.
With operations in 29 countries, Mornin ...
On September 13, 2019, Hauptman sold his majority share to Mansueto, who became the sole owner.
Return to Soldier Field and rebrand (2020–present)
As the 2019 MLS campaign concluded, the Chicago Fire organization began the ambitious process of reinventing the franchise during the course of a three-month offseason. The changes included securing a downtown Chicago venue, adding new front office positions, shifting organizational roles, making major roster changes, and rolling out a new brand identity.
Two days after the end of the season, October 8, the Fire officially announced they would return to
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
to play the 2020 MLS season, that same day
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger ( , ; born 1 August 1984) is a German former professional Association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Earlier in his career, he primarily played as a wide midfielder before later switching to a central mi ...
announced his retirement. Two days later, the Fire announced the signing of midfielder
Álvaro Medrán, eight days later Designated Player and former Golden Boot winner
Nemanja Nikolic announced he would be leaving the team.
The first full month of the off-season saw the Fire continue their overhaul. On November 4, the team traded captain
Dax McCarty
Michael Dax McCarty (born April 30, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. McCarty spent his entire professional career in Major League Soccer with six different clubs.
Early career
McCarty was raise ...
to expansion side
Nashville SC
Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team spent two seasons in the USL Championship before joining ...
. Ten days later Homegrown Player Grant Lillard was dealt to MLS's other expansion team
Inter Miami CF
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami (), commonly referred to as Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (M ...
. That same day, November 14, Chicago Fire President and general manager Nelson Rodríguez fired head coach Veljko Paunovic and his staff. News that the Chicago Fire would not be renewing the contract of their last-remaining DP,
Nicolas Gaitan
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to:
People Given name
* Nicolas (given name)
Mononym
* Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer
* Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer
Surname Nicolas
* Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
, as well as winger
Aleksandar Katai was overshadowed by an even larger organizational unveiling one week later.
On November 21, the long-anticipated rebrand of the Chicago Fire franchise was announced. Developed with the help of marketing agency Doubleday & Cartwright, the team revealed changes to its franchise colors, red and white to red, blue, and gold, its name from Chicago Fire Soccer Club to Chicago Fire FC and, most contentiously, its logo.
While the Fire organization made their second player acquisition of the offseason in early December, homegrown player Nicholas Slonina, a relatively quiet few weeks had some followers of the team concerned about their organizational progress. However the Fire were busy again in late December with Nelson Rodríguez relinquishing his on-field decision making responsibilities to new Sporting Director Georg Hietz, who swiftly named former
US Soccer
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of soccer in the United States. It is a full member of FIFA and governs American soccer at ...
Youth National Coach
Raphael Wicky as head coach and
Sebastian Pelzer as Technical Director. Heitz has previously worked with Wicky at Swiss club
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel, FCB, or just Basel, is a Swiss professional Association football, football club based in Basel, in the Basel-Stadt, Canton of Basel-Stadt. Formed in 1893, the club has been List of Swiss footba ...
and "worked closely" with Pelzer at his management consultancy business Heusler Werthmüller Heitz ("HWH").
The Fire opened the 2020 campaign with the signings of Argentinian duo
Ignacio Aliseda
Ignacio Santiago Aliseda (born 14 March 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Swiss Super League club FC Lugano.
Club career
Aliseda began his career with Defensa y Justicia. He was moved into the club's first ...
from
Defensa and
Gaston Gimenez from Vélez Sarsfield, looking to bolster their squad after losing DP
Nicolas Gaitan
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to:
People Given name
* Nicolas (given name)
Mononym
* Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer
* Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer
Surname Nicolas
* Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
The Fire also announced the signing of
Robert Beric from French outfit
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
, who netted in his debut defeat against the
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
(2–1).
Colors and badge
The club's official primary colors are red, flag blue, deep blue, and white. Secondary colors such as navy blue, sky blue, gold, and black have also been used throughout the history of the Fire. The original logo of the Chicago Fire, used from 1997 to 2019, was derived from the
Cross of Saint Florian
Florian (; AD 250 – 304) was a Christian holy man and the patron saint of chimney sweeps; soapmakers, and firefighters. His feast day is 4 May. Florian is also the patron saint of Poland, the city of Linz, Austria, and Upper Austria, jointly ...
, a common symbol for fire departments in the United States.
A stylized "C" sat in the center, representing the city, similar to the logos of the
Bears
Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout most o ...
and
Cubs. The six points in a ring around the center alluded to the stars in the
Flag of Chicago
The flag of Chicago consists of two light blue horizontal bars, or stripes, on a field of white, each bar one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top and bottom. Four bright red stars ...
, one of which commemorates the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.
This style was chosen by the original general manager, Peter Wilt, to establish a timeless image evocative of both classic American sports (as in the logos of the
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
Original Six
The Original Six () are the teams that composed the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. ...
) and the traditions of European soccer.
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
, the Fire's original equipment supplier, intended for the team to be named the Chicago Rhythm. The Rhythm identity featured a turquoise, black and green color scheme, and a logo adorned with a
cobra
COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...
. Team officials ignored Nike's work, and privately developed the Fire identity with the help of Adrenalin, Inc., a sports branding agency from
Denver
Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
.
The names "Chicago Blues" and "Chicago Wind" were also considered.

The original Fire jerseys were chosen because of their resemblance to a Chicago fireman's coat, featuring broad horizontal stripes across the torso and sleeves. In the first year, the home jersey was red and white with a silver "FIRE" on the stripe; while the away shirts were white and black in the same style. The jersey maintained the same format of an all-red shirt with a white horizontal chest stripe through changes in equipment sponsor (from
Nike
Nike often refers to:
* Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment
* Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory
Nike may also refer to:
People
* Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
, to
Puma, and currently
Adidas
Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
), until 2012 when the white stripe was exchanged for a blue stripe. Conversely, the Fire's secondary shirts have changed much over the years from white with black, to white with navy, to white with red, to all-white style and the all-blue currently used. Third shirts have often been yellow (originally to honor the Chicago Sting, later for the expired partnership with
Morelia
Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipalities of Mexico, municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both th ...
). In 2005, and again from 2014 through 2016, the club wore third shirts with designs based on the
Flag of Chicago
The flag of Chicago consists of two light blue horizontal bars, or stripes, on a field of white, each bar one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top and bottom. Four bright red stars ...
.
The club and their fans make frequent use of the symbols of Chicago, as a show of civic pride. Most prominent are the six-pointed Chicago stars, but the light blue color associated with the city, the municipal device, and the city skyline appear regularly on materials produced by the club and its fans. The
Flag of Chicago
The flag of Chicago consists of two light blue horizontal bars, or stripes, on a field of white, each bar one-sixth the height of the full flag, and placed slightly less than one-sixth of the way from the top and bottom. Four bright red stars ...
is also favored by fans and often seen at the stadium.
On November 21, 2019, the club unveiled its first major rebranding ahead of their move back to Soldier Field in Chicago. The club's name was changed to Chicago Fire Football Club (Chicago Fire FC) and the original logo was replaced with an ovular crest marked with mirrored sets of three triangles called the "Fire Crown" to reference the revitalization of Chicago following the Great Fire.
The crest used dark blue, red, and gold as its main colors.
Secondary design colors are to be ivory and "flag blue", a light blue color derived from the Chicago flag. Before its unveiling, the rebranding was leaked onto social media and garnered an "overwhelmingly negative response" from fans. Comparisons were made between the "Fire Crown" and the existing logo of the
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The MLS ite ...
, which uses a similar set of mirrored triangles, and some fans worried that the "Fire Crown" was reminiscent of the logo of the
Latin Kings
The Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (ALKQN, ALKN, or LKN, also known as simply Latin Kings) is a gang active primarily in the United States. The gang was founded by Puerto Ricans in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954. The Latin Kings are one of t ...
street gang. The team responded to the decidedly negative reaction by saying "
ewbrands take time and repetition to build meaning. They will be judged in years, not days", insisting that there are no plans to revive the old logo. The club ultimately unveiled a new crest in the middle of the 2021 season, with a full embrace of it beginning in 2022. This new logo was designed by
Matthew Wolff
Matthew Brandyn Wolff (born April 14, 1999) is an American professional golfer. He was an NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State University, and won the 2019 NCAA Division I individual championship. Wolff picked up his first win on the PGA Tour at ...
.
Uniform history
Sponsorship
Stadium

Chicago played its home games at
SeatGeek Stadium
SeatGeek Stadium is a football-specific stadium, soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II ...
, a
soccer-specific stadium
A soccer-specific stadium, mainly in the United States and Canada, is a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi-purpose stadium whic ...
located at 71st Street and Harlem Avenue in the Chicago suburb of
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately southwest of the Chicago Loop. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the village population was 17,027.
History
The earliest European sett ...
, about 12 miles southwest from downtown Chicago from 2006 until the end of the 2019 season. The Village of Bridgeview owns and operates SeatGeek Stadium, which opened as Toyota Park on June 11, 2006, and originally cost approximately $100 million. After the end of the 2018 season, It was renamed from Toyota Park to SeatGeek Stadium, with an estimated naming rights fee between $2.5 million to $4 million per year.
For its first years in the league the Fire played at Soldier Field, the 61,500-capacity home of the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
of the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
and one of the main venues of the
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup was the 15th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national soccer teams. It was hosted by the United States and took place from June 17 to July 17, 1994, at nine venues across the country. The United States w ...
. While that stadium was undergoing a $632 million renovation, the Fire played at
Cardinal Stadium
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, also known as L&N Stadium and formerly known as Cardinal Stadium and Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the southern end of the campus of the U ...
in
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...
, on the outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area; the stadium was temporarily expanded to 15,000 seats to accommodate the team. Attempts to play at other venues, including
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was a ballpark in Chicago, Illinois, located in the Armour Square neighborhood on the near-south side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Built by Wh ...
and the
Arlington Park
Arlington Park (formerly known as Arlington International Racecourse) is a former horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Once called the ''Arlington Park Jockey Club'', it was located adjacent to the Illinois Rou ...
racecourse, were rejected by their respective owners. They returned to Soldier Field toward the end of 2003, remaining there through the end of 2005 while their soccer-specific stadium was under construction.
In April 2019, multiple sources reported the club in negotiations with Bridgeview to buy out the remainder of its lease at SeatGeek Stadium and return to
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
. In July 2019, Chicago Fire reached a deal to leave SeatGeek Stadium for a payment of $65.5 million and move back to Soldier Field starting in 2020. The return to Soldier Field was finalized with an agreement with the Chicago Park District in September 2019.
On June 3, 2025, Chicago Fire FC owner
Joe Mansueto
Joseph Daniel Mansueto (born September 3, 1956) is an American billionaire entrepreneur; the founder, majority owner and executive chairman of Morningstar, Inc. He is also the owner of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC and Swiss Super Leag ...
announced plans for a new, privately funded, soccer-specific
stadium
A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
and entertainment district located along the Chicago River just south of Roosevelt Road. The stadium will be the anchor tenant of
The 78
The 78 is a plot of land in Chicago from Roosevelt Road south to 16th Street and Clark Street west to the Chicago River that is not developed as of June 2025. The plot of land gained its name from a proposal in 2018, not built, that consisted ...
– a mixed-use development that will eventually include restaurants, retail, office space, and residential buildings, along with green space and an extension of the
Chicago Riverwalk.
Home stadiums
*
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
;
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
(1998–2001, 2003–2005, 2020–present)
*
Cardinal Stadium
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, also known as L&N Stadium and formerly known as Cardinal Stadium and Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on the southern end of the campus of the U ...
;
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...
(2002–2003, one U.S. Open Cup game in 2004)
*
SeatGeek Stadium
SeatGeek Stadium is a football-specific stadium, soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II ...
;
Bridgeview, Illinois
Bridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately southwest of the Chicago Loop. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the village population was 17,027.
History
The earliest European sett ...
(2006–2019)
Other stadiums
* Forest View Park;
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, Cook County Illinois, United States. A northwestern Chicago metropolitan area, suburb of Chicago, it lies about northwest of the city's downtown. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
(2000) ''1 game in U.S. Open Cup''
* Milwaukee Sports Complex;
Franklin, Wisconsin (2001) ''1 game in U.S. Open Cup''
* McCully Field;
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is a city in and the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is located in Milton and Winfield Townships, approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, Wheaton's population was 53,970, making it the 27th-mos ...
(2001) ''1 game in U.S. Open Cup''
*
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.[Toyota Park
SeatGeek Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II of MLS Next Pro, and th ...](_blank ...<br></span></div>, Peoria, Illinois (2008, 2011) ''2 games in U.S. Open Cup Qualifying''
<h1><br><p> Club culture</h1></p>
<h2><br><p> Supporters</h2></p>
There is a noteworthy fan culture for the Fire, beginning with the original Fire SG Barn Burners, existing from the date the club was founded, and building on an enthusiasm throughout Chicago sports. At matches, Supporters groups, supporters and ultras groups occupy a standing area directly behind the north goal, in the ''Harlem End'' of <div class=)
. This area is referred to as ''Section 8'', originating from the numbering of the corresponding section at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears from the National ...
and the Section 8 (military), American military designation of mentally unfit soldiers. Section 8 Chicago, the Independent Supporters' Association (ISA) for the Fire, oversees the activities of these numerous groups. While incorporating a worldwide variety of styles with a Chicago bent, groups as part of ''Section 8'' generally fall under the ultras designation. Additionally, an associated spinoff group called "Sector Latino" which originally congregated in the corner-kick Section 101 at the stadium's southwest end until season long discussions between the ISA and the Chicago Fire Front Office eventually saw the group moved to Section 137, directly behind the south goal. There are also several other affiliated ultras and supporters groups, including The Arsonists, Banter Buddies, Blitzer Mob, Husaria, Fire Ultras 98, Partisans, Red Scare, Second City North, The Western Front, Ultras Red-Side, Mike Ditka Street Crew (MDSC), and Whiskey Brothers Aught-Five. The Section 8 Chicago ISA is a registered 501(c)7 non-profit organization run by volunteers through an elected board of directors.
Match atmosphere is known for organized displays of stadium-wide support, particularly for matches of prime competitive importance. Call-and-response cheering amongst the crowd is commonplace. Fans at SeatGeek Stadium for Fire matches periodically choreograph tifo presentations both to show their pride and inspire the players on the field. SeatGeek Stadium remains one of the few American environments to conduct such fan-driven presentations on a large scale.
Mascot
Their official mascot is Sparky, an anthropomorphic Dalmatian (dog), Dalmatian dog. Sparky is usually shown wearing the club's jersey but also arrives wearing firefighter attire.
Rivalries
While the Fire have heated rivalries with a number of different MLS teams, Fire supporters of different ages will likely give different responses as to who the club's main rival is. The earliest Fire supporters would list Brimstone Cup rival FC Dallas as the Fire's nemesis, or
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...
following heated playoff and cup matches with Dallas and L.A. in the league's early years.
After the Fire moved to the Eastern Conference, meetings with Dallas and LA became less frequent. Rivalries with
D.C. United and New England Revolution were stoked following several thrilling playoff meetings. The Fire and Revolution are MLS' most frequent playoff matchup, meeting in the MLS Cup Playoffs 8 different times in 10 seasons from 2000 to 2009, splitting those encounters 4–4, with the Fire winning in 2000, 2003, 2008, and 2009. New England ended the Fire's playoff runs in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Newer rivals include
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew are an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team began play in 1996 as one of the 10 cha ...
, who up until the introduction of FC Cincinnati were the closest MLS team geographically to the Fire, and Atlanta United FC following quarrels between the two sets of fans.
In 2023 St. Louis City SC entered the league. As St. Louis and Chicago are considered historic rival cities, a rivalry has naturally emerged between the two teams.
Broadcasting
Beginning with the 2020 season, WGN Sports was added as a regional television rightsholder under a multi-year deal, with all regional matches airing on WGN-TV. The first season under the contract was concurrent with the final year of the existing ESPN+ regional rights. WGN had recently lost its legacy professional sports rights to NBC Sports Chicago and Marquee Sports Network.
In April 2021, the club announced that their television broadcast team would consist of play-by-play commentator Tyler Terens, color analyst, Tony Meola. Play-by-play commentator Arlo White – whose Fire broadcast debut was postponed in 2020 because of the pandemic – was also expected to call several games. With every MLS game available on Apple TV app, Apple TV via their rights deal in 2023, Chicago games will be broadcast almost exclusively on this service, with exceptions for certain national linear television broadcast partners.
Spanish-language radio station WRTO (AM), WRTO has aired Chicago Fire matches since 2017, replacing WCHI-FM, WEBG-HD2.
On April 26, 2023, the Fire announced a deal with Cumulus Media to carry Fire matches on English language radio, with matches to be broadcast on either WLS (AM), WLS 890 am, or on the station's website at wlsam.com. Max Thoma will provide play-by-play with former Fire player Dasan Robinson providing color commentary.
Players
Roster
Out on loan
Ring of Fire
The "Ring of Fire" was established in 2003 by Chicago Fire Soccer Club and the Chicago Fire Alumni Association as permanent tribute to honor those who have made the club proud and successful over its history. Aside from the initial member
Piotr Nowak
Piotr "Peter" Nowak (; born 5 July 1964) is a Polish professional football manager and former player. He was most recently in charge of Ekstraklasa club Jagiellonia Białystok.
Nowak played in Europe for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszc ...
, only "Ring of Fire" members can select new inductees, and no more than one can be selected any year. Names and numbers (if applicable) are prominently displayed inside
SeatGeek Stadium
SeatGeek Stadium is a football-specific stadium, soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II ...
.
There were no inductees in 2008, 2010, or 2011. In 2008, the members voted to honor two recently deceased fans (supporter leaders Dan Parry and Brandon Kitchens) but were overruled by the club chairman
Andrew Hauptman. Parry and Kitchens were later made members of the Wall of Honor, a special recognition for Fire fans. In addition to Parry and Kitchens, the late Fire fans Euan McLean and Al Hack have been inducted into the Wall of Honor as of 2011.
C.J. Brown was expected to be honored in 2011, but a new rule was established that inductees must have been away from the club for at least a calendar year. Brown, at the time an assistant head coach at Real Salt Lake, was officially inducted at the halftime ceremony during the home game vs. Real Salt Lake in Toyota Park on May 9, 2012.
On October 3, 2015,
Ante Razov
Ante Razov (born March 2, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former player who is an assistant coach for Los Angeles FC. A prolific forward, Razov is one of the leading goal scorers in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the all- ...
, the club's all-time leading scorer, became the eighth individual to be inducted into the club's Ring of Fire Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on that day during the halftime of the regular season home match against New England Revolution. On February 10, 2024, former goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach Zach Thornton was inducted into the Ring of Fire. The ceremony will be held on April 27 at Soldier Field during the match against Atlanta United.
* 10
Piotr Nowak
Piotr "Peter" Nowak (; born 5 July 1964) is a Polish professional football manager and former player. He was most recently in charge of Ekstraklasa club Jagiellonia Białystok.
Nowak played in Europe for Polish clubs such as Zawisza Bydgoszc ...
(inducted 2003)
* 41
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
(inducted 2004)
* 5
Luboš Kubík
Luboš Kubík (born 20 January 1964) is a former Czech professional footballer who played as a midfielder or defender. He represented the former Czechoslovakia at the 1990 FIFA World Cup and then the Czech Republic in their runners-up-finishing ...
(inducted 2005)
* Former general manager and club president
Peter Wilt (inducted 2006)
* Former head coach
Bob Bradley
Robert Frank Bradley (born March 3, 1958) is an American association football, soccer coach, who most recently managed Norwegian football team Stabæk Fotball, Stabæk fron 2023 - 2024.
A native of New Jersey and graduate of Princeton Universi ...
(inducted 2007)
* 14
Chris Armas
Christopher Armas (born August 27, 1972) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Youth and college
Born in The Bronx, New York City, Armas is of Puerto R ...
(inducted 2009)
* 2
C.J. Brown (inducted 2012)
* 9
Ante Razov
Ante Razov (born March 2, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former player who is an assistant coach for Los Angeles FC. A prolific forward, Razov is one of the leading goal scorers in the history of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the all- ...
(inducted 2015)
* 18
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton (born October 10, 1973) is an American soccer player who is goalkeeping coach for Chicago Fire FC. A goalkeeper, he spent 16 seasons in Major League Soccer with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996–97), Chicago Fire (1998� ...
(inducted 2024)
Staff
Head coaches
Club presidents
Sporting Directors
Chief Operating Officer (General Manager)
Technical directors
*
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
(2008–2011)
*
Brian Bliss (December 6, 2013 – January 5, 2016)
*
Sebastian Pelzer (December 28, 2019–)
Directors of player personnel
* Mike Jeffries (soccer), Mike Jeffries (2010–2012)
Assistant coaches
*
Denis Hamlett (1998–2007)
* Mike Jeffries (soccer), Mike Jeffries (1998–2000, 2008–2009)
*
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
(2000)
* Daryl Shore (2000–2009)
* Tom Soehn (2001–2003)
* Craig Reynolds (soccer), Craig Reynolds (2004–2007)
*
Chris Armas
Christopher Armas (born August 27, 1972) is an American professional soccer coach and former player who is the head coach of Major League Soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Youth and college
Born in The Bronx, New York City, Armas is of Puerto R ...
(2008–2009)
* Alvaro Briones (2010)
* Larry Sunderland (2010–2011)
* Mike Matkovich (2009–2010, 2012–2013)
* Leo Percovich (2011–2013)
* Aron Hyde (2010–2015)
*
C. J. Brown (2013–2014)
*
Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis (born November 25, 1976) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward or midfielder. He appeared at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal. He also played in Major League Soccer for the MetroStars, wh ...
(2014–2015)
* Marc Bircham (2015)
* Marko Mitrović (footballer, born 1978), Marko Mitrović (2015–2019)
*
Eric Gehrig (2017–2019)
*
Frank Klopas
Fotios "Frank" Klopas (; born September 1, 1966) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. Following his retirement, he served as a color commentator for the Chicago Fire before later working as a front office executive and ...
(2020–2023)
* David Zdrillic (2020–2021)
* Adin Brown (2020–2022)
* Junior Gonzalez (soccer), Junior Gonzalez (2022–2023)
*
C. J. Brown (2022–2023)
*
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton (born October 10, 1973) is an American soccer player who is goalkeeping coach for Chicago Fire FC. A goalkeeper, he spent 16 seasons in Major League Soccer with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996–97), Chicago Fire (1998� ...
(2022–)
* Paulo Nagamura (2024–)
* Carlos García (footballer, born 1984), Carlos García (2024–)
Honors
* Individual club awards
**MLS Fair Play Award, MLS Team Fair Play Award: 2009
Minor Awards
* MLS Wooden Spoon: 2015, 2016
Records
Most Appearances
Top goalscorers
Year-by-year
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Fire. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Chicago Fire FC seasons.
1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
Team awards
''Golden Boot is the team leader in goals (regular season games only). * Indicates a season where two players tied for the Golden Boot award.''
References
External links
*
Chicago Fire FCat MLS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chicago Fire (Soccer)
Chicago Fire FC,
1997 establishments in Illinois
2018 mergers and acquisitions
Association football clubs established in 1997
Major League Soccer teams
Soccer clubs in Chicago, Fire
Soccer clubs in Illinois, Fire
U.S. Open Cup winners