Chicago Style: Kellyn Acosta is bringing glamour back to the Fire

The moment Kellyn Acosta stepped off the field in the second half of last year’s MLS Cup, the free agency clock began to tick. Three months and one half-field buzzer-beater later, he seems to be fitting in just fine with the Chicago Fire.

Acosta’s exciting start to life in the Windy City represents the culmination of a long free agency process that wasn’t settled until a few weeks before the start of this season. After LAFC’s defeat in MLS Cup, several clubs around the league reached out, and European options were also on the table.

“It's one of those things where I got a taste of a little bit of everything,” Acosta told MenInRed97. “I was cognizant of being a free agent, and putting all the pieces together, not just the product on the field, but off the field and what I want to achieve.”

Between his spells with FC Dallas, the Colorado Rapids, and LAFC, Acosta has no shortage of MLS experience, but free agency represented the first time in his career that he could truly control his own destiny. From day one, the Fire were the most proactive team throughout the process, with Acosta’s recruitment being the team’s top priority on the domestic market in the offseason.

In the end, a variety of factors made the decision easy for Acosta. Owner Joe Mansueto was personally involved in the process, something the 28-year-old had never experienced in his career. And for Acosta, someone who’s made no secret of his ambitions both in the community and the creative space, Mansueto’s aligned vision and the allure of the bright lights of Chicago played a pivotal role.

“It was kind of a no-brainer,” Acosta says. “[The Fire] are super adamant about leaving their imprint on the community, and that's a credit to the organization and Joe as well. He's Mr. Chicago through and through and has done so much. I've also been vocal about being into the fashion space. For Chicago, being a big city is huge and I can tap into that.”

Building and rebuilding the Fire’s identity on and off the field has been a hallmark of Mansueto’s tenure in recent years. The Fire are constructing a team and organization that represents the hard-working spirit, diversity, and culture of the city. Acosta, voted by his fellow players as the most fashionable player in MLS three years running, will play a big role in that.

Entering the Fire’s changing room, with players from across the globe, there is a rich tapestry of styles, including the “eclectic” aesthetic of Tobias Salquist, the consistent class of Fabian Herbers and Rafael Czichos, and the “European flair” of Allan Arigoni and Maren Haile-Selassie. Acosta, who himself has embraced his mixed Japanese and Black background, quickly came to appreciate what his new teammates had to offer.

“Put us up there with the best,” Acosta says of his team’s stylishness. “It's cool to see the different styles brought into the locker room. Hopefully, people can give some recognition of that and showcase us alongside the other teams and around the world.”

Already, Acosta has tapped into the cultural scene alongside his teammates, acclimating quickly to his new home. He was featured in Modern Luxury’s Chicago Social magazine and pictured alongside the Swiss duo of Arigoni and Haile-Selassie for a fashion shoot captioned “Chicago Freestyle.”

For the last 15 years, the Fire have seemed to be far away from MLS' "glamour clubs," and off-the-field style alone won’t be enough to restore the Fire to relevance in the way that Mansueto and the fanbase hope. They haven’t reached the playoffs since 2017 and hold the longest active playoff drought in the league despite a few near misses. There have also been a number of expensive disappointments in the last few years, from Robert Berić to Ignacio Aliseda and Kacper Przybyłko to Jairo Torres.

This offseason was emblematic of a shift in strategy, far more advanced than the one that saw the team come up short in the earlier years of Georg Heitz’s time as sporting director. Hugo Cuypers, for one, was acquired in a reported club-record $12 million deal from Gent, with Heitz forgoing an enticing big-name signing for a more unknown but still proven goalscorer in his prime. In the case of Allan Arigoni, shared analytics with sister club FC Lugano ensured that the right back would be a good fit in the way Chicago wants to play and could thrive at the MLS level. They also traded for Andrew Gutman, one of a number of aggressive moves on the domestic market, bringing a top MLS defender back to his hometown.

Furthermore, following Ousmane Doumbia's exit, Heitz and the rest of the staff knew they needed an upgrade in central midfield. The first four years of his time in Chicago proved that a lack of MLS experience was showing on the field.

That’s where Acosta came into the picture.

Acosta was arguably the top name available in free agency; he was coming off of back-to-back MLS Cup appearances with LAFC, had been an important piece for the U.S. Men’s National Team throughout the last World Cup cycle, and at only 28, is in his prime with plenty still left in the tank. The Fire pulled out all the stops to encourage him to choose the Fire over the collection of other clubs that were hoping to add his services. After a months-long process that wasn’t settled until deep into preseason, a faint, blurred image of Acosta appeared in the background of a Fire social media post.

For Acosta, someone who says that he’s looking to break back into Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT picture ahead of the 2026 World Cup despite stiff competition, Chicago provided the exact platform he would need to accomplish his goals, and the warm welcome he received proved he had made the correct choice.

“When the news leaked, everyone in the fanbase was reaching out to me,” Acosta says. “You want to be somewhere where you're wanted and appreciated and the Chicago Fire checks every box for me. That is exactly what I want to be a part of, and it's been great so far.”

In his first month, he’s lived up to the hype. Deep into stoppage time, down 3-2 against CF Montréal, he set up Hugo Cuypers’ equalizing goal, tying the game with four minutes to spare. In the 99th minute, he launched a hopeful ball forward towards the box which was picked up by a gust of wind and carried into the back of the net, handing the Fire an unlikely 4-3 win after trailing 3-1 late. Acosta’s goal – scored roughly 60 yards from Jonathan Sirois’ net – went viral worldwide and set off delirious celebrations throughout Soldier Field.

Chicago may be the Windy City, but the team won’t be able to count on help from the elements in every game, and the experience of the Fire’s big players will come into play. A team that, at times, showed inexperience and a lack of depth now has far more leaders to call upon. Acosta and Cuypers are among them, but so are Xherdan Shaqiri, defender Rafa Czichos, and red-hot Fabian Herbers.

More so than in years past, the Fire boast a wealth of experience and quality proven at a high level. Combining that with the youthful exuberance of homegrown stars Chris Brady and Brian Gutiérrez, the burgeoning talents of Maren Haile-Selassie and Georgios Koutsias, and academy products Andrew Gutman and Mauricio Pineda, Heitz seems to finally have found the recipe for success in preparing a truly exciting group to attack MLS this season.

“From the first moment, I could tell that there was a special group here,” Acosta says. “From the outside looking in, guys in the fanbase might not see it, but I think for us, we're building something great. This is a team that is highly ambitious, wants to be back in the fold, not just playoffs, but also win trophies… Now it’s about not just talking, but executing on the field.”