Now it is official: the Chicago Fire will face Charlotte FC in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs when they kick off later this month. Inter Miami's 2-1 win over the New England Revolution on Sunday confirmed this outcome.
Although home field advantage is still up for grabs on Decision Day next week, Chicago and Charlotte will certainly fill positions 4 and 5 in the Eastern Conference. As a result, the two already know they will face off in a best-of-three series.
The series will be contested between November 20th and December 2nd. Exact dates are set to be confirmed shortly after Decision Day.
Confirmation that Chicago will face Charlotte will be welcome news within the Fire's camp. For the last few weeks, it has been increasingly clear that the first round opponent would likely be Charlotte or Philadelphia, and considering the way that the red-hot Union played the Fire off the pitch a few weeks ago at Soldier Field, that did not seem like the preferred outcome.
Meanwhile, Charlotte is among the opponents that the Fire have most consistently dominated during the Gregg Berhalter era. The Men in Red have won all four games against Dean Smith's team over the last two seasons, with the most recent being a 1-0 triumph in September thanks to Johan Gómez's second half goal.
The other three meetings between the sides tell a similar story. In August, Robert Lewandowski scored his first two MLS goals to seal a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Soldier Field. In 2025, they dispatched Charlotte twice, winning 4-1 on the road and 3-2 at home.
The team that finishes 4th place will have home field advantage for the series, heightening the importance of next Saturday's Decision Day meeting with the in-form Columbus Crew. The #4 seed will host the first, and if necessary, third, game of the series.
Meanwhile, Charlotte play Inter Miami in their final game of the regular season. If Charlotte fail to win that game, they will finish 5th regardless of the Fire's result at SeatGeek Stadium.
This series will have the highest stakes of any games in the Berhalter era; the Men in Red are looking to advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009, and reach their first MLS Cup since 2003. The Fire haven't won an MLS title since 1998, and haven't won any trophy since 2006.
