Chicago Fire's 2026 MLS Schedule Released
The Chicago Fire's 2026 schedule is now confirmed, and the Men in Red can already begin marking their calendars for the new season. Gregg Berhalter is hoping to take his team to another level in his second MLS season, and he now knows the pathway to doing so in the league.
The Fire's schedule release starring Mike Magee was also released this afternoon
, as a callback to Ferris Bueller's Day Off to mark the film's 40th anniversary.
Opening Day
For the third successive season, the Fire will go on the road for the opening game of the season. Shell Energy Stadium will be the setting as they face the Houston Dynamo on February 21st for their first trip to Space City since 2022. After top-five finishes in 2023 and 2024, the Dynamo missed out on a playoff spot under Ben Olsen, who is Berhalter's former USMNT teammate.
They'll return home for their home opener a week later on February 28th, hosting CF Montréal at Soldier Field. A manageable March schedule will also see them face Columbus (home on March 7th), D.C. (away on March 14th), and Philadelphia (home on March 21st).
Key May run
The most important stretch early in the Fire's season is the entire month of May prior to the World Cup break. They'll have three home games during that time, hosting Cincinnati (May 2nd), Red Bull New York (May 9th), and Toronto (May 23rd) in fairly quick succession. In between the New York and Toronto games, they'll have two quick road trips to face D.C. again on May 13th and Montréal on May 16th.
Due to the World Cup being held in the United States next summer, the entire league is taking a nearly two-month break from the end of May to the middle of July. This means the Fire will not play for that whole period, basically splitting the season in two.
Back with a bang
Once league action kicks off again in July, it will be a very long sprint to the finish line. One of the most intriguing fixtures of the year falls in the first game back, on Thursday, July 16th, when the Fire will welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps to Soldier Field. If Berhalter's son Sebastian doesn't move to Europe before then, the two will face off for the second time after last March's thrilling 3-1 Fire win in British Columbia. Legendary German superstar Thomas Müller will also face the Fire for the first time.
A few days later, they'll travel to South Florida to face Inter Miami for the first time in their new Miami Freedom Park stadium. The participation of Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will likely depend on how far Argentina gets in the World Cup, with the final set for July 19th at MetLife Stadium. The return fixture against Miami will also come on a Wednesday, and is set for September 9th at Soldier Field – though next year's NFL schedule may factor into things.
Final stretch to Decision Day
The final run of the season falls later than usual because of the World Cup break. The Fire will play their fifth-last match on the weekend they would usually be wrapping up the regular season (October 17th) and will face Marko Mitrović's New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. They'll round out October with tests against Atlanta (away on October 24th), Orlando (home on October 28th), and Colorado (away on October 31st).
Fortunately, his year's schedule won't see an international break directly before Decision Day. The Fire will face Columbus at home in their final match before the playoffs, a return home after having a road Decision Day match in 2025 against New England. Because of the World Cup break, the playoffs will kick off nearly a month later than usual. They could benefit the Fire against southern-based teams, as it did in this year's Wild Card game against Orlando last month, but it depends on the Men in Red securing home-field advantage with a strong regular season.
