Chicago Fire FC hosted New York City FC in fire in New York City on October 10, 2026, at Soldier Field, with Chicago in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and NYCFC carrying a 10-match regular-season unbeaten run against the Fire. The match kicked off at 1:30 PM CT, 2:30 PM ET, and Apple TV carried the broadcast.
NYCFC had not lost to Chicago in the regular season since September 2021. That run included seven wins and three draws, and the most recent meeting before Saturday ended 3-1 to NYCFC at Yankee Stadium on July 25.
Chicago’s fourth-place position
Chicago entered the game after a 3-1 home win over Vancouver. Jonathan Bamba scored in the 9th minute, Philip Zinckernagel scored early in the second half after a give-and-go with Maren Haile-Selassie, and Haile-Selassie finished in the 88th minute on a Robert Lewandowski assist.
Gregg Berhalter said afterward that “the team was unhappy with how it conceded.” Chicago finished that match with 21 shots and 8 shots on target, while Vancouver had 14 shots and 2 on target. Chicago also moved past Charlotte into fourth in the Eastern Conference, one point behind Inter Miami and the New England Revolution, who were tied for second.
NYCFC’s long run
Pascal Jansen’s team arrived winless since a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake on September 12. After that result, NYCFC lost 1-0 to the Red Bulls and drew 2-2 with Atlanta United, while trying to hold a wild-card spot.
The visitor’s injury list was described as long, and one betting preview named Matt Freese, Aiden O’Neill and Tayvon Gray as expected to miss. Tomas Romero started in goal against Atlanta in Freese’s place. Chicago’s front line was matched against NYCFC’s depleted back line, which shaped the pregame focus.
Maren Haile-Selassie
Haile-Selassie gave Chicago a late goal against Vancouver and entered the match with nine goals and nine assists. He also had a contract extension through 2028-29, adding another layer to a Chicago attack that already had six goals and three assists from Lewandowski in 12 MLS appearances.
Hugo Cuypers led Chicago with 13 goals, and Chicago had conceded 39 goals in 27 matches. NYCFC’s Nicolas Fernandez Mercau led the club with 15 goals and eight assists, shared sixth in the Golden Boot race, and handled penalties. Agustin Ojeda added five goals and 10 assists, giving NYCFC a scoring base even as it tried to extend a streak that had lasted since September 2021.
