Chicago Fire Seeks Strong Finish Ahead of World Cup Break

The Chicago Fire find themselves in a very good spot with one match remaining before Major League Soccer breaks for the FIFA World Cup.

The Fire currently occupy the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 points after collecting seven wins and two draws through their first 13 matches of the season, with Chicago wrapping up its first-half schedule against Toronto FC on May 23 at Soldier Field.

After a tough stretch of three games without a win in all competitions at the start of the month, the Chicago Fire bounced back in a big way last week with two wins on the road against D.C. United and CF Montréal, respectively.

Both were big boosts for the club’s confidence entering the break as they were two very different types of wins. Chicago had to grind for 60 minutes before finally breaking through against D.C. United and then had to hold on late despite significant pressure from CF Montréal after the Fire had scored on each side of halftime.

“It was a huge game for us, honestly, and in a lot of ways conceding the first goal is obviously not something you want to do,” Jack Elliott said ahead of the Fire hosting Toronto FC, “but it happens, and it’s going to happen again, so being able to stay calm and continue to try and play the way we’re playing and find a way to break them down was huge. We found that way and with Puso [Dithejane] coming in and giving us a change in the dynamics, D.C. players got a bit more worn out and created a bit more space for us to be able to play, which was huge. And then just the general fight through set pieces and the way that [D.C. United] play requires a battle, which I think gives us confidence in games where it’s not always going to be pretty.”

“In Montreal we were at the end of a three game week and the mind can start to wander; the legs start getting a bit tired, but we did everything through the 90 minutes to fight and come out with a win there too. So, mentally, it was huge for us to win those games and get through those moments.”

The Chicago Fire’s depth was tested against Montréal when Joel Waterman, who has only played center back since being acquired by the Fire last season, lined up at midfield due to injuries to Anton Salétros and Sergio Oregel Jr., alongside Dje D’Avilla’s yellow card accumulation suspension. Seeing their group get through ninety minutes while collecting a clean sheet gives this team confidence despite being down multiple starters at Stade Saputo.

“It speaks volumes to the kind of squad we have with the strength and quality, not just with the first 11 guys, but all the way through it. We can lose player two, three, four, five and still come with the same intensity and the same quality, so it’s a huge, huge thing to have as a team to know that you have that. And especially in-game, knowing that you can have impactful substitutions too.”

Chicago is in a good spot with one match remaining, but it sounds like the group has no desire to overlook Toronto FC along the lakefront on Saturday night.

“They’re obviously a difficult team to play against and make it tough for opponents. You never know what can happen in this league and just staying focused for 90 minutes for us is going to be a crucial part of the game.”

It remains a great sight to see Elliott on the field playing this well given he was hospitalized in March due to sepsis. Elliott has played in ten matches in all competitions since his hospitalization and says he’s feeling much better entering the World Cup break.

“I feel good, actually. It took a little bit to think back to full fitness, some extra fitness sessions, some extra work on the bike, but I think I’m back to a good spot. The [FIFA World Cup] break is going to be interesting; I’ve never had to deal with something like that. I think it’ll be good for some guys to recharge, so that will be exciting.”

From the rest of my notebook:

Hugo Cuypers

Hugo Cuypers is making history for the Chicago Fire in the first half of the 2026 Major League Soccer season.

The Chicago Fire’s number nine, who is in his third season with the club, has scored goals in ten straight MLS games to start his 2026 season, good for the third-longest streak in league history. Cuypers leads the MLS Golden Boot race with 13 goals despite missing three games due to injury earlier this spring.

Cuypers has been the consistent force in the Chicago Fire’s attack and remains the most likely candidate from the club to earn an MLS All-Star spot through the initial voting process. The club would also love to see him extend his goal-scoring run to 11 MLS matches, which they believe is more than feasible for their club-record signing.

“We know Hugo is a top striker and he should have, in every game, opportunities to score,” Chicago Fire FC director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter said after the club’s win over CF Montréal at Stade Saputo. “So, in theory, I think he should be able to keep it up forever.”

Robert Lewandowski

The Chicago Fire remain interested in acquiring 37-year-old Polish striker Robert Lewandowski this summer on a free transfer after the expiration of his contract with FC Barcelona. Chicago has been tied to Lewandowski for years and Gregg Berhalter, who has spoken with the forward in the last month, shed some light on the club’s recent dealings with the potential summer acquisition.

“In terms of our communication, we’ve had a lot of communication both with him, with his team, you name it, and you know I can speak freely because he’s not a player of Barcelona anymore, or he won’t be a player as of next week,” Berhalter said on Thursday. “It’s someone that we’re interested in, and we think that both the community, the Polish community, but not only that, the whole community of Chicago will get behind this signing. We think it’s a fantastic signing for the club, for the city, and for the league. A player like that at this high level can only add to our group and add to our talent.”

“We already have a really strong attacking team and to add to that would make us much stronger.”

Mbekezeli Mbokazi

Chicago Fire center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi was selected for a spot on South Africa’s preliminary squad for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, days ahead of Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos’ final roster announcement. South Africa has a friendly against Nicaragua in Johannesburg before they open the World Cup against Mexico in Mexico City on June 11.

Mbokazi, 20, has appeared 13 times for the Chicago Fire in all competitions since joining the club from Orlando Pirates in the MLS offseason. He’s been a force in the backline and was recently named to Major League Soccer’s Team of Matchday 14 starting 11 after his performance in the Fire’s 2-0 win over CF Montréal last weekend.