Gutiérrez Eyes Future with Club and Country

Brian Gutiérrez has grown from a boy to a man at the Chicago Fire. One-third of the way through his sixth season as a professional in Major League Soccer, the young attacking midfielder is taking center stage.

With an exciting summer rapidly approaching, “Guti” is expected to remain in the spotlight… especially as the lights on him begin to shine brighter.

Home sweet home

2025 has been a year of sweeping change around the club. From the blockbuster arrival of former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter at the top of the sporting department to the opening of a state-of-the-art training center in the city, everything seems to be moving in the right direction. Gutiérrez, still just 21, is now the club’s second-longest tenured player after Mauricio Pineda, who signed just two weeks before him.

“The club has changed a lot since I’ve joined, and its for the better,” Gutiérrez told MIR97 Media in an exclusive interview Wednesday at the new training center. “Having this facility is honestly amazing. You can come in every day with a smile… we’re trending really well right now and it’s only up from here.”

Gutiérrez has made himself a central figure in the team, both literally and figuratively. He burst onto the scene on opening day with a brace in Columbus and has consistently been a good performer over the last month since returning from an injury.

He’s been doing all that from a new position as a box-to-box midfielder in a 4-3-3, a dramatically different role to the winger job he has been tasked with for the last several seasons. The departure of star Designated Player attacking midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri halfway through last season has undoubtedly opened up a spot for Guti in the middle of the field, one that he’s made his own.

“Every game is a grind, and I know I have to approach it that way,” Gutiérrez said. “I have to run a lot, work for the team. Gregg has said that when I’ve sat down with him, that I have to run my socks off and that everything will flow and the game will come to me.”

“(Working with Berhalter) has been amazing,” the homegrown added. “It’s been different now because you go into a game and you know exactly what your role is. It’s really easy going in and knowing exactly what you can do to help the team, and most of (the players) love it.”

Born in the U.S.A.

In addition to strong form at the club level and showcasing his versatility there, Gutiérrez has had a breakthrough year internationally with the U.S. Men’s National Team. After making two starts in January camp friendlies under new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, he earned a call-in to the CONCACAF Nations League camp in March. The U.S. finished last of the four teams in that tournament, and Guti was unable to appear due to an injury he sustained in camp.

Though he didn’t see the field, the opportunity to come into an “A” team international camp for the first time was immense for him. The roster was stacked with the top American stars playing in Europe’s top leagues, such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, and Tim Weah.

Specifically, Guti said that AFC Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams, who captained the U.S. at the last World Cup in Qatar, was a particularly helpful mentor in camp.

“Tyler is really vocal and he’s a really nice person,” Guti said. “All of them are chill and nice people, they’re just regular people at the end of the day. But Tyler, we were talking a lot, and he’s great; he told me to keep pushing myself, that I’m in a great system with Gregg (Berhalter), and that I can flourish here.”

Had Gutiérrez played in either of the games, he would have been permanently cap-tied to the country of his birth, answering a years-long question of whether he would represent the United States or Mexico. While he won't officially be locked-in in the eyes of FIFA for at least a little while longer, the Chicago-area native says that he can now be considered committed to the USMNT.

“I’ve been with (the USMNT) in camps, in January camp and in March,” Gutiérrez said when asked if his international future was settled, “so, yes, I think so.”

Looking for Gold

The opportunity to get back into camp under Pochettino could come sooner rather than later. The U.S. roster for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup – as well as friendlies against Türkiye and Switzerland – is set to be announced on May 22nd, a date which is coming up very quickly.

Gutiérrez is right there in the chase to be among the players to make the cuts for that 26-man squad. It’s unclear whether Gio Reyna will be called into camp with his club future uncertain, which could vacate a spot in the attacking midfield area that could solidify Guti’s standing. Malik Tillman and Diego Luna also appear to be in positions to make the roster, but there’s no reason all of those players couldn’t be there together.

“Obviously, you want to be there as a player,” said Gutiérrez. “Representing your national team is the pinnacle of being a soccer player. I want to be there and I think I’m in the loop.”

Over the last few months, Guti has gotten to know the other members of the national team pool better as he’s been integrated into the team. He’s grown a friendship with the aforementioned Luna, who already has seven goals in MLS this season and will certainly be involved this summer, and has kept in touch with Jack McGlynn and Benjamín Cremaschi as well.

In addition, Guti has already met and spoken with the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sebastian Berhalter, who’s having a remarkable breakout season in MLS and seems poised for a first senior USMNT call-up this month. The 23-year-old midfielder, son of Gregg, visited Chicago last week, during which Guti had a “great talk” with him. Berhalter has four goals and three assists in his last five games, including 4 goal contributions against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, making him one of the most in-form players in all of North American soccer.

Solid performances this summer could help Gutiérrez, Berhalter, and the other young USMNT hopefuls lock in their spots as the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil rapidly approaches – an event that is a primary motivation for the young Chicago homegrown.

“I mean, that’s what we’re here to do,” Guti said of the possibility of making a World Cup roster. “That would just be a dream come true.”

Shop window?

Over the last 18 months, Gutiérrez has established himself as one of the most exciting young names in MLS. As his development continues and he further establishes himself among the league’s best, calls are inevitably going to start coming in from overseas – and according to the Italian media, they already have.

While a move to AS Roma or anywhere else certainly doesn’t seem imminent, it’s clear that a move abroad is going to be the next step for Guti, and it could come sooner rather than later.

“I don’t want to be here forever,” the 21-year-old said of his future. “If you want to grow, you have to challenge yourself and go to those leagues. That’s the pinnacle for a footballer, being in that environment.”

In the past, big clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund have been connected with Guti. While it is difficult to evaluate how real or serious those looks were, it is certain that he’s becoming a known name on the global market, and a good showing at this year’s Gold Cup – if he makes the roster – could accelerate that, especially as the Fire remain in the market for a DP playmaker.

Nonetheless, for now, Guti still has a job to do in Chicago, and what happens next is not the priority just yet.

“I think I have to keep working every day and things will fall into place. Right now I’m just taking it day-by-day, and always trying to get better.”