Fresh off their best season in almost a decade, the Chicago Fire kick off 2026 looking to go from curse breakers to trophy contenders. Despite a first-round exit at the hands of the Supporters Shield winners, it's hard not to see 2025 as a success in year one of the Berhalter era.

As we move into year two of that project, the team at MIR97 Media has put together predictions for the team in 2026 - both sharp, square, and otherwise.

Team Golden Boot Winner

Alex Calabrese: Robert Lewandowski (14)
Tim Hotze: Philip Zinckernagel (20)
Max Sánchez Josa: Hugo Cuypers (18)
Matt Shabelman: Philip Zinckernagel (21)
John Thornton: Hugo Cuypers (23)

Lost in the mix of a 30-goal contribution year from Newcomer of the Year finalist Philip Zinckernagel was that 2025 was the first season in club history with multiple 15-goal scorers in league play - Zinckernagel with 15 and Cuypers with 19 (shoutout to DJ for nailing this in the 2025 prediction). It was unsurprising – if not expected – that the Fire's Belgian number nine led the team in goals for the second straight season, and now Cuypers looks to once again lead one of the most lethal attacks in MLS.

As for Alex's prediction of Lewandowski...well, stranger things have happened!

Team Offensive MVP

Alex Calabrese: Jonathan Bamba
Tim Hotze: Robin Lod
Max Sánchez Josa: Philip Zinckernagel
Matt Shabelman: Philip Zinckernagel
John Thornton: Anton Salétros

Zinckernagel won the plurality here, and it's hard to argue with the thinking. An ability to work and score inside, paired with the touch and vision to lead his teammates in on net make Zinckernagel an obvious choice. Though the other three represent an interesting split.

Could we see an emergence from Jonathan Bamba (whose status is still in doubt for Saturday's opener) have a bounce back year on the stat sheet, Robin Lod push back towards the 20 g/a mark we saw in 2024 - albeit with a potentially reduced role should Andre Franco return in form, or Anton Salétros, who has already announced himself as a danger any time he stands over the ball on a free kick.

Team Defensive MVP

Alex Calabrese: Mbekezeli Mbokazi
Tim Hotze: Chris Brady
Max Sánchez Josa: Chris Brady
Matt Shabelman: Chris Brady
John Thornton: Djé D'Avilla

Fresh off of a new contract in September Chris Brady is once again the staff favorite for Defensive MVP. In case there's any doubt about his importance to the defensive structure, one needs to look no further than the team's final loss to Philadelphia, or better yet their 0-0 draw with Miami at home. Brady's impressive shot stopping was on display against Messi and friends, and his work in possession should only continue to improve in year two under Berhalter.

While hopefully the two other names on this list can help prevent Brady from needing to stand on his head to win games in 2026, the Fire's man in the net will answer the bell any time he's called.

Breakout Player

Alex Calabrese: Djé D’Avilla
Tim Hotze: Mbekezeli Mbokazi
Max Sánchez Josa: Leonardo Barroso
Matt Shabelman: Jonathan Bamba
John Thornton: Leonardo Barroso

Leonardo Barroso and Djé D'Avilla had inverse trajectories in 2025, Leo starting hot before seeing injuries cause his season to end prematurely, and Djé struggling through the dog days of summer before emerging suddenly as if he had Monstar'd Yaya Touré - even using his significant stature to contribute on the offensive end. If they're able to rise together in 2026, both could have a chance at making MLS's 22 under 22.

Bamba ends up as the wild card. He was excellent in connecting play and held up well defensively in 2025, but you don't pay a forward $5 million to connect play. The opportunities will be there; if Bamba can add finishing to his list of skills, he'll likely find himself at the top of this list.

Open Cup Performance

Alex Calabrese: Semifinal
Tim Hotze: Loss in Final
Max Sánchez Josa: Quarterfinal
Matt Shabelman: US Open Cup Champions
John Thornton: Loss in Final

The Fire had an opportunity to push past Minnesota in the quarter finals of the 2025 US Open Cup, but fell due to some poor timing and tackling. Based on the staff's predictions, this still seems their most likely opportunity to win a trophy (and maybe even to secure a Concacaf Champions Cup berth as a consolation).

Gregg & co will have to manage a far more congested schedule in 2026 with the World Cup break, Leagues Cup, and preparing for the playoffs as an expectation instead of a goal. We may see early enough where the prioritization lies.

Leagues Cup Performance

Alex Calabrese: Group Stage
Tim Hotze: Quarterfinal
Max Sánchez Josa: Group Stage
Matt Shabelman: Round of 16
John Thornton: Group Stage

The new League Cup format is brutal, and the predictions reflect that. Should the Fire make it out of their group, they'll have a chance to compete and test themselves against the best North America has to offer.

Maybe more importantly, this could be the first time we see André Franco return to action in 2026, assuming his recovery goes to schedule.

MLS Performance

Alex Calabrese: 4th in East, Lose in Conference Semifinal
Tim Hotze: 4th in East, Lose in Conference Final
Max Sánchez Josa: 6th in East, Win MLS Cup
Matt Shabelman: 4th in East, Lose in Conference Semifinal
John Thornton: 3rd in East, Lose in Conference Final

Expectations are high. The only prediction outside the top five also features the Fire adding a second star to their shirts.

Going through the better of the two conferences is difficult enough, but knowing that you'll more than likely end up having to knock off both Lionel Messi's Inter Miami AND BJ Callaghan's Nashville squad who beat the Fire by a combined 9-2 in 2025, the task is daunting. That said, the state of the club is reflected well - firmly inside the playoff line, outside the shield race, but if everything goes to plan this could be the scariest team in MLS come November.