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The Chicago Fire announced today they have mutually agreed to terminate Kellyn Acosta's contract. Sources have told MIR97 Media that the move will use one of the Fire's two buyouts for 2026, removing Acosta’s cap hit from the Fire roster and leaves the Fire with one remaining buyout in 2026.
The move leaves Acosta available to sign a new contract on a free transfer, a requisite step ahead of a possible move to Polish side Pogoń Szczecin as reported yesterday by Tom Bogert of The Athletic, with Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter confirming that the team was “working on an exit strategy” in media availability hours later.
Acosta leaves the Fire with 53 appearances including 33 starts and five goal contributions in MLS play for the Fire, where he served as team captain for eight matches across 2024 and 2025.
In a statement released to media, Berhalter is quoted as saying “We thank Kellyn for his contributions to Chicago both on and off the field. His leadership and experience helped to guide the Fire into this new era, and this move allows him to continue his career at a high level while pursuing a new challenge.”
The Plano, Tex. native joined the Fire to fanfare early in 2024, when his profile and experience had made him one of the most sought-after free agents in the league that offseason. At the time, the move was a coup for the team’s beleaguered front office under Georg Heitz after several years of failing to make the postseason despite lavish spending.
Before joining the Fire, Acosta scored the opening goal for Los Angeles FC in the 2022 MLS Cup final ahead as part of an eventual win in penalty kicks over the Philadelphia Union squad that featured Jack Elliott and was named by Berhalter, then the U.S. Men’s National Team head coach, to the 2022 World Cup squad, featuring in the team’s draw against Wales and win over Iran that sent the United States into the knockout rounds of the tournament.
In 2023, however, Acosta’s role with LAFC diminished as Head Coach Steve Cherundolo increasingly emphasized direct play over controlling games of the midfield, leaving Acosta as a free agent at the end of the season.
Results for the Fire did not pick up in 2024, although the team’s 10 point drop from the previous year was much more despite, rather than because of, Acosta’s presence. That season, Acosta served as a steadying presence in the locker room that was too often beset by bad results, but even if he was not primarily responsible for the team’s form that year, Acosta failed to make the impact to match the $1.6 million salary.
In 2025, many expected Acosta’s form to improve with the appointment of Berhalter as Fire head coach, given that many of Acosta’s best performances were with the USMNT during Berhalter’s tenure. That failed to materialize and by the end of the season, Acosta had found himself relegated to a bench role and his last start for the Men In Red came against the New England Revolution in U.S. Open Cup play in mid-May.
Sources familiar with the situation have told MIR97 Media that the Fire had sought a move within MLS for Acosta, but were unable to find any takers even if Chicago retained a significant part of his salary.
In the past, Acosta had been vocal about his desire to play in Europe, being linked to moves abroad as far back as 2017. An All-Star for FC Dallas that season and considered one of the top products to come through the team’s rich academy pipeline, Acosta said that “obviously, that’s my dream to play in Europe.”
Ultimately, he was not sold abroad then, and an intercontinental move four years while playing with the Colorado Rapids did not materialize, causing Acosta to take to social media with his frustrations at being traded within the league instead, saying that the Rapids "had an offer for me on the table from abroad and ongoing interests and opted to trade me" to Los Angeles FC instead.
This narrative is sad. CO pushed me out. They had an offer for me on the table from abroad and ongoing interests and opted to trade me…
— Kellyn Acosta (@KellynAcosta) January 14, 2022
Now, with 305 MLS appearances under his belt, the veteran appears set to finally make a jump to play European football.
