In a matter of seconds, André Franco’s dream start to life in MLS became a nightmare.
Last September, on a humid Tuesday evening in Fort Lauderdale, the Chicago Fire were playing some of their best football under Gregg Berhalter to that point. The Men in Red were cruising through the month, with Franco’s starring role in midfield at the center of it all. They would go on to put five goals past the eventual MLS Cup champion and clinch playoff qualification that night, ending an eight-year postseason drought.
When the team celebrated that night, there was substantial concern for Franco, whose ACL tear was confirmed shortly thereafter. That same night, Berhalter told his new midfielder that he intended to make his loan move permanent – and bring Franco back in 2026, despite suffering a potentially career-altering injury just weeks after arriving in Chicago.
“Since day one, on the day I tore my ACL in Miami, Gregg came to me and said, 'We want to sign you on a permanent deal,'” Franco told MIR97 Media in an exclusive interview this week. “It wasn't easy for Chicago and Porto to reach an agreement. It took a little more time, so I was delaying the surgery a little bit. As soon as they reached the deal, I had my surgery and started rehab.”
“The club decided to sign me on a permanent deal. They trust me. And now it's time to pay back to the club.”
If Franco sees the field on Saturday against the Colorado Rapids, it will mark his return to the MLS pitch after 396 days – one year, one month, and one day. That is a substantial period for any player and a testament to how difficult his road to recovery was.
The Fire expect it will be worth the wait in order to get the best possible version of one of their most intriguing signings in recent memory. Franco joined the club in August of 2025, utilizing his link to then-Fire assistant coach Filipe Çelikkaya, who helped bring the 27-year-old talent from one of Portugal’s elite clubs to MLS in his prime. The deal was a strategically structured loan with an option to buy, though in the fall, the Fire renegotiated the transfer fee because of the injury.
However, the wait proved to be far longer than originally anticipated. Initially, Franco was expected to return mid-season, after the World Cup break in the summer. Then, some setbacks extended the wait into the autumn.
“It was frustrating over the last couple of months because the ACL always responded well to rehab,” Franco said. “After four months, I think my ACL was okay, but we were dealing with another problem that I had in the knee before the injury, a patellar tendon problem. For the surgery, they took a little bit on my quad tendon.”
“Over the last couple of months, we were dealing with some pain in that patellar tendon, and that was the factor that delayed my return to play a little more. It was frustrating because it was nothing serious. The ACL was okay. Everything was okay, except this pain. It was nothing we should be concerned about, but at the same time, I couldn't progress as fast as we wanted because of it. It was definitely frustrating.”
“We tried so many treatments here in the States. I went to Portugal for a couple of months to try to get free of this pain. Now I'm not pain-free, but I can handle it, so it's okay.”
Right as the leaves were about to turn from green to gold, Franco finally approached the final stages of his long journey back to game action. In the first week of October, he finally returned to full team training and was reinstated to the active roster the same day. He was cleared to play not long after; games on artificial turf were not conducive settings for a player’s return from a major knee injury, so MLS action had to wait just a bit longer.
During that period, Franco made his first appearance in any capacity, featuring for Chicago Fire II in a closed-door friendly against North Texas SC. After a promising performance there, the highly anticipated return with the first team finally came when he was named to the bench for Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Orlando City. Although Franco ultimately did not get on the field, it was still a huge milestone in what has been a difficult and frustrating road back to that point.
“We'd been in touch over the last couple of weeks, so we had a plan,” Franco said. “I could have been available earlier than Orlando, but Gregg and I talked, and it wasn't good for me to play in New England or Atlanta because of the turf.”
“I played (for Fire II), I felt good, and then, for the Orlando game, I should have been able to play. But sometimes the rhythm of the game isn't how we expect. It wasn't the best option for them to put me into a game like that. Hopefully, here in Colorado, I can have my first minutes, then Columbus and the playoffs. I will be ready.”
The positive for the Fire is that now, Franco is very close to full availability. Berhalter even said on Wednesday that the staff considered putting him on as early as halftime against Orlando, though they ultimately opted to make different changes. That’s a huge boost entering the postseason – that Franco is available as someone who can give more than just spot minutes here and there.
“I still have some pain, but I'm used to having this pain from before, so I'm not concerned about it. It's something I can handle, and it doesn't show on the pitch. Right now, on the pitch, I'm 100% ready to help the team, and the rest is coming day by day.”
“I'm coming onto the field again at a stage when the team will need me again. I hope I can help as much as I did last season and make the same or a bigger impact this year.”
Given how much has happened in Chicago since then, it’s easy to forget that last year, Franco was the Fire’s “big summer signing”. When he opted to take the #10 shirt upon arrival, expectations were sky-high; he quickly backed it up on the field, starring in a deep-lying playmaker role next to Djé D’Avilla throughout September, and becoming an instant fan favorite in a way few players have been able to in recent memory.
The exact role Franco played last season – a dynamic complement to D’Avilla whose primary task was to connect the back three with the wingers – does not exist in the same way it did at the end of 2025. A strengthened roster and host of different midfield profiles have allowed the Fire to build out in a more traditional 4-3-3, usually with D’Avilla at the base and the duo of Anton Salétros and Maren Haile-Selassie further up. Ultimately, with star signing Robert Lewandowski providing less pressing and movement from the center forward, the Fire’s entire style of play has shifted, and demanded more out of the five players in the midfield and out wide.
“I think I will have the freedom in midfield to play higher or lower, deeper in our midfield setup, or higher, close to the striker,” Franco said. “It's a question of timing in the game. We want to be a team that defines the tempo of the game, and I want to be the guy who can help the team do that.”
“Sometimes I'll be lower on the pitch, more focused on the buildup, and other times I'll be in the last step, making the final pass. It's a question of me understanding the game and seeing where the team needs me most.”
While the midfield won’t be as built around him as it was last September, Franco still brings something huge to the table – his unique profile can be a fix in nearly all of the Fire’s midfield spots, regardless of what structure Berhalter opts for. Having provided four assists in his six appearances last season, Franco is already a proven quantity in MLS.
That makes him a potential playoff x-factor – practically a new signing ahead of the postseason – that makes the Fire substantially stronger and deeper at the most important moment in the season.
Few players have risen from relative unknown to a fan favorite as quickly as Franco did last summer. So when he returned to the Soldier Field bench on Wednesday, there was a burst of excitement and energy that came along with it from the Fire’s most loyal supporters.
A few dozen of them will be in attendance on Saturday, should he appear in Colorado, but he could finally get to play in front of the home fans again next week on Decision Day – a perfect moment for a reintroduction heading into the games that will ultimately define the Fire’s 2026.
“Even during rehab, I received a lot of messages from the fans. I saw their comments on social media, too, praying for me to be healthy and return to the team. When you're at a club where you feel that love from the fans, it's easier for you when you go onto the pitch and play. It means a lot.”
“Even before the last game against Orlando, I felt the love from them with every step I took onto the field. I felt the love from them, and it's important for me. I can't wait to play in front of them again.”
