BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — The Chicago Fire’s Leagues Cup fate has been sealed.
Following a 2-1 loss to Mexican powerhouse CF Monterrey, they have been eliminated from the competition at the quarterfinal stage. Orbelín Pineda's late screamer was enough to make the difference in an otherwise hotly contested battle at SeatGeek Stadium.
Rayados advance to the semifinals and keep their hopes of CONCACAF Champions Cup qualification alive.
The defeat to Monterrey stings particularly because it comes at the hands of Hugo Cuypers — the striker who requested to leave the Fire last month following the arrival of Robert Lewandowski.
After missing the 2025 edition of Leagues Cup, the Fire returned to this new format, which demands near-perfection of teams in the first round to advance to the knockout stages. The Fire stormed through the first phase, easily handling Necaxa 2-0 before coming from behind to beat Santos Laguna 3-1. They upset Mexican champion Cruz Azul 2-1 in the final match, thanks to a brace from South African winger Puso Dithejane.
Despite their elimination, the Fire can leave with several positives from this tournament. The Men in Red defeated Mexican opposition for the first time in 16 years; the win over Necaxa was the first official victory over non-U.S./MLS opposition since beating Pumas in the 2010 SuperLiga, and the win over Cruz Azul is arguably the most impressive triumph in the club’s history. The quarterfinal was the Fire’s first continental quarterfinal since 2004.
Additionally, the Fire got additional time to work on integrating star signing Lewandowski, who was used as a lone #9 in a 4-3-3 during this tournament. That 4-3-3 shape also got the most out of Djé D’Avilla, Anton Salétros, and Sergio Oregel Jr. — three players who stepped up across the group matches and demonstrated that they can all he called upon to play similar midfield roles in MLS play.
The Fire return to league play on Saturday, with a quick turnaround before they face the struggling Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field. Following elimination from Leagues Cup, MLS is the only competition the Fire will participate in for the rest of 2026 and can only qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup via MLS.
