Chicago Fire FC will close out Phase One of Leagues Cup 2026 on Thursday night against reigning Liga MX champions Cruz Azul at SeatGeek Stadium. Chicago will then return to regular season play with a home match against the Portland Timbers on Sunday, August 16 at Soldier Field.
The Fire enjoyed a successful return to Leagues Cup, winning their first two matches of Phase One against Club Necaxa and Santos Laguna. In their first match in any competition against Necaxa on Aug. 6, the Men in Red posted a shutout supplemented by two goals scored by defenders Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman. Three days later, a tougher test ensued, falling behind by one goal through the first 70 minutes against Santos. Coming off the bench at halftime, MLS All-Star Philip Zinckernagel tied the match before Robin Lod deflected a shot from Anton Salétros to give Chicago the lead. Robert Lewandowski got his first goal in Leagues Cup to seal the match in stoppage time.
Arguably the toughest test of the season is next for Chicago: reigning Mexican champions Cruz Azul. The Mexico City-based club opened the tournament with a tense 1-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union on Aug. 6 behind a goal by José Paradela. The Liga MX All-Star got his second game-winner three days later in another close 2-1 win against New York City FC. The results set up a Leagues Cup rematch to advance to the knockout round for both teams – la Máquina won their first meeting in 2019 on their way to winning the inaugural edition of the interleague tournament.
Both teams will return to domestic play the following Sunday, Aug. 16, with the Men in Red welcoming Western Conference side Portland Timbers to Soldier Field. Portland arrives at the lakefront in top shape, enjoying a four-game unbeaten streak in MLS play since returning from the FIFA World Cup 2026 break. Timbers fans especially relished two victories against Cascadia Cup rivals Seattle Sounders FC by a combined score of 7-2 in that span, which preceded a win against Puebla and a loss to Club América in Leagues Cup.
Game Information
Chicago Fire FC (4th, MLS Eastern Conference) vs. Cruz Azul (6th, Liga MX)
Thursday, August 13, 2026
SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, Ill.
All-Time Leagues Cup Record vs. CAZ: (0-1-0-0)
Last Game vs. CAZ: July 23, 2019 (0-2 L) – SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, Ill. (Match Recap)
Chicago Fire FC (9-6-2, 29 points) vs. Portland Timbers (7-8-3, 24 points)
Sunday, August 16, 2026
Soldier Field – Chicago
All-Time Major League Soccer Record vs. POR: (1-5-5)
Last Game vs. POR: March 31, 2018 (2-2 D) – Toyota Park – Bridgeview, Ill. (Match Recap)
Last Game at POR: June 21, 2023 (2-1 W) – Providence Park – Portland, Ore. (Match Recap)
MAtch Notes
- With the two victories against Necaxa and Santos Laguna at SeatGeek Stadium, Chicago now has a record of 2-2-1 in Leagues Cup matches against Liga MX sides. One of those two losses came against Cruz Azul in the inaugural 2019 edition that featured only four teams from each league. The match featured a heavily rotated Fire side that saw the professional debut of Homegrown defender Andre Reynolds II.
- With a perfect six points out of six after two Leagues Cup matches, Chicago is third among the 18 MLS sides in the competition. A goal differential of +4 may help the Fire advance to the knockout round with a win against Cruz Azul on Thursday.
- Chicago Fire FC will go for its 100th regular season victory at Soldier Field on Saturday night against the Portland Timbers. The Fire have an all-time record of 99-55-39 in 193 matches at the iconic venue, with 330 goals scored. The opportunity to reach the century mark will come on the Timbers’ first visit to Soldier Field, having only played four road matches at SeatGeek Stadium since their inaugural 2011 season.
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