2025 MLS Schedule Released
The Chicago Fire's schedule for 2025 was announced on Thursday, with the Men in Red marking their calendars for the first season under new Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. The Fire will seek to navigate this difficult MLS schedule under the new regime and qualify for the postseason, which hasn't been done for the last seven seasons.
Opening Day
The Fire will open the season in Columbus, with opening day against the Crew falling on Saturday, February 22nd. This game generates quite the storyline, as Berhalter will return to his old stomping grounds for his first game as head coach of the Fire. The Crew, playing under MLS Coach of the Year Wilfried Nancy, beat the Fire both home and away last season and are expected to be an MLS Cup contender next season after a shock playoff exit this fall.
The Fire's home opener will fall seven days later, on March 1st, against D.C. United, who, like the Fire, missed the playoffs last season. Despite that, United's Christian Benteke did manage to win the Golden Boot, scoring 23 times in the regular season. The Fire then round out their first run of games on the road against FC Dallas (March 8th), Toronto FC (March 15th), and Vancouver Whitecaps (March 22nd).
April Showers
April will prove to be a difficult month for the Fire, with a number of challenging fixtures piling up early in the year. They'll travel to New Jersey to face the MLS Cup finalist New York Red Bulls on April 5th and then host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami a week later on April 13th at Soldier Field. Though they'll stay at home for another big test against MLS Cup hopeful FC Cincinnati on April 19th, the day before Easter, the Fire will close out the month on the road at Nashville, a place the Fire have never won.
Once the calendar turns to May, things will ease up considerably; the month opens with a pair of home matches against Orlando City (May 3rd) and Atlanta United (May 10th), before the Fire go on the road to face Charlotte, New York City, and Orlando (admittedly, three somewhat tricky tasks).
Boys of Summer
The lack of a month-long Leagues Cup break opens up the summer months for MLS play, and this will benefit the Fire as a large number of those fixtures will come at home. Most notably, the Fire will host a three-game homestand in late June, facing Nashville SC, the Philadelphia Union, and Charlotte FC. Games against Nashville, in particular, could be of interest, as they will face the master against the apprentice when Berhalter faces his former USMNT assistant, B.J. Callaghan.
Two California teams will travel to Soldier Field later in the summer, as expansion team San Diego FC will come on July 12th, and Los Angeles FC will follow suit on August 9th. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the Fire and San Diego, while the Fire will play LAFC in the league for the first time since 2019 – a 0-0 draw on the road in which Przemysław Frankowski started at right back for the first time in his Fire career.
Dog Days
Arguably the most difficult and important stretch of the Fire's season will be the month of August. Following the match against LAFC on the 9th, the Fire will immediately host rival St. Louis City on August 16th for the fourth edition of a burgeoning cross-conference rivalry. If the previous three meetings (two in MLS, one in the Open Cup) with St. Louis are anything to go by, this should be a spicy fixture, particularly if the weather cooperates.
Two tremendously difficult road games will follow; on August 23rd, the Fire will travel to Chester, Pennsylvania to face the Philadelphia Union, a place they have struggled in recent years. They will then head to Fort Lauderdale to once against face Messi, Suárez, and Co. at Chase Stadium. The Fire won at Inter Miami in 2023 but were defeated there in 2024 by a late Jordi Alba goal.
Home Stretch
The most crucial run of the Fire's season does, fortunately for Berhalter's team, seem to be the easier portion of the schedule. Four of the team's final six matches across the months of September and October will be at home, and most will be against teams the team should realistically beat if Berhalter's roster construction goes as planned. In September, the Fire will host the New England Revolution (September 6th), New York City FC (September 13th), and Columbus Crew (September 27th), with a road game against Minnesota United squeezed in (September 20th).
Decision Day will be on the road again this time around, with the Fire traveling to Foxboro, Massachusetts, to face the Revolution on October 18th. The Revs finished just one position above the Fire in the Eastern Conference last season and are searching for a new identity under head coach Caleb Porter.
Full Schedule:
