Chicago Fire center back Christopher Cupps has been loaned to Scottish second league club Greenock Morton until the end of 2026.
Cupps, 18, is a top U.S. center back prospect but has only appeared twice for the Fire first team this season. The Lincoln Park native came off the bench in the MLS opening day loss to the Houston Dynamo and a 1-0 April win over Nashville SC.
The season has been disappointing for Cupps because of the lack of serious opportunities that he has gotten. After forcing his way into the first team in 2025 and appearing five times, the hope was that the highly-rated teenager would push on and become a bigger contributor this season. However, Cupps has largely been used as a fourth or fifth center back on the depth chart and has only found prominent minutes for Chicago Fire II.
Cupps is a prominent U.S. youth international and has captained his country at every level he has played at. Last month, he was called up to the CONCACAF U-20 Championship and played every minute through the quarterfinals as the U.S. qualified for the U-20 World Cup. Cupps was recalled to provide depth for the Fire in the Leagues Cup first round but did not play a single minute; despite not playing in the semifinal or final, he was still named to the team of the tournament.
Greenock Morton is a small but historic Scottish club that dates as far back as 1874. They have played in the second division for ten seasons and have not played in the top flight since 1988; they are currently in the relegation zone after losing their first three games of the season. They have had three Americans in the past: four-time U.S. international David Brcic, two-time U.S. U-23 goalkeeper Dominic Cervi, and Nashville SC star and Mount Prospect native Brian Schwake.
The move does not open a supplemental roster spot for the Fire. The club currently has Jack Elliott, Joel Waterman, and Sam Rogers available at center back, and hopes Mbekezeli Mbokazi can return before the season’s end. They are also in the market for another center back signing, which could be completed in the next week before the transfer window closes on September 2nd.
