Chicago Fire FC

Chicago Fire FC carries the name of the city's defining historical event, born on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. From day one the club set a standard almost no expansion team matches — winning a championship in its very first season. The Fire play in one of MLS's most passionate, blue-collar soccer markets, backed by a supporters' culture as loud as the club's name suggests. Their crest and identity lean hard into Chicago grit, making them a fixture of the league's Original Ten era.

Founded in 1997, Chicago Fire FC joined MLS in 1998 and immediately won the double, capturing both the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup in their debut season. The club reached two more MLS Cup finals, in 2000 and 2003, without adding a second league title, but claimed additional Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006 along with the 2003 Supporters' Shield. The Fire have since gone through ownership changes, a stadium move from Soldier Field to Bridgeview and back to Soldier Field, and a rebuild aimed at recapturing their early success.