The Chicago Fire go back almost as far as Major League Football itself. They joined the league for the 1998 season, and many fans basically see them as originals.
They dominated the league in their early years, and yet, for all their history they have always lacked a true home-field identity.
But not for too much longer.
Club owner, Joe Mansueto, has privately financed a 22,000 seater stadium to be built on a vacant tract in Chicago’s South Loop, known as “The 78”.
It’s a brilliant location right in the heart of the city, the stadium will be soccer specific, and it is due to break ground sometime this year, costing around $650 million.
The hope is to open for the 2028 season, and if all goes to plan, the Chicago Fire will finally trade their nomadic past for a permanent home in the city they represent long into the future.
From Soldier Field to Bridgeview: A Nomadic History
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The club’s venue hopping is almost as storied as the club itself.
Originally, the Chicago Fire played at Soldier Field. In terms of a location it was brilliant, but it was an NFL stadium with 60,000 seats, which completely swallowed the 17,000 fans on average who turned up to watch the men in red.
Even though the Fire were winning trophies left right and center in their first decade, the atmosphere fell flat in a stadium that was 60% empty.
To address this, the club looked for a new stadium. Somewhere smaller and soccer specific. In 2006 they struck a deal to play at Bridgeview (now the SeatGeek Stadium), in a move aimed at providing intimacy and a better more soccer centric experience for fans.
However, in their haste to get away from Soldier Field, the Fire overlooked a few key considerations.
First of all, Bridgeview was 12 miles out of the center of Chicago, and although still in an urban area, was considered very much to be an out of town location.
Second, it offered limited public transport and inconvenient road access. This, coupled with the club’s decline on the pitch, saw attendances drop too. By 2019 their average attendance was just 12,324, about 30% down from their peak and the lowest in the league.
The Chicago Fire were simply becoming less visible, and in a city obsessed with sports that’s quite something.
Joe Mansueto bought a stake in the club in 2018, and this is when things began to change. He opted to pay a $65 million break clause to get away from Bridgeview and go back to Solider Field – at least temporarily.
By 2020, they were back at the 60,000 seater venue. The same issues existed as before, but at least attendances went back up, despite the odd game having to be held back at Bridgeview (SeatGeek) due to scheduling issues with the Chicago Bears, the NFL team who own the stadium.
So the Fire really were nomadic for this period. They were splitting their home games between two stadiums, neither of which they owned.
Reviving the Fan Base
Chicago Fire have a fan base. Make no mistake. The issue was engagement and location.
Just because fans weren’t showing up in person, doesn’t mean they weren’t supporting from afar. However, that doesn’t help club revenues or give the players a boost in the stadium on game days.
In the early days at Soldier Field, the Fire had one of the highest average attendances in the league. When they returned to Soldier Field in 2020, they came back.
I dare say they created new fans too, with the possibility of walk ups and passing trade adding to their numbers. In fact, a franchise record was broken in 2023 when the Fire welcomed Inter Miami – 62,000 people packed out the stadium. Messi may have had something to do with that, but still, it proves that Chicago’s soccer fans will turn out under the right circumstances.
The fan base seemed to be revived by the return to Soldier Field. Average attendances since 2020 have eclipsed those of the Fire’s most successful years, despite the team not having much to cheer about. They finished bottom of their conference in 2024 and 28th overall, but with an average attendance of 21,328 – only a few hundred lower than LAFC and Orlando City, and a few hundred more than Inter Miami.
When their new stadium is built then, can we expect sell out crowds every week and a strong, consistent identity? I think so.
The Plan for South Loop Soccer Stadium
The new stadium will be an open air design with a 22,000 capacity, and at current attendance levels will feel absolutely packed.
Once you consider the branding the club will no doubt install it will feel like an absolute fortress, somewhere fans can truly call home after years of couch surfing.
Imagine the club’s name and their crest on the front of the building. Imagine the on brand seating spelling out their name. And what about the advertising and sponsorship opportunities that will open up. A club shop on site. No rent to pay. Full control over every aspect of the venue.
What’s more, with it being soccer specific, the viewing experience will be heightened no end. Fans will feel closer to the action, players can fully engage with them after goals are scored, etc.
The new stadium will also benefit from its location. It’s right next to Roosevelt CTA station for anyone coming via train, while road access around the venue is due to be improved and lots of parking will be available. It’s part of a wider development (the 78 Development), but the stadium will be the central anchor, surrounded by bars, eateries, and other types of entertainment. This means lots of potential fans passing by as well as current fans having more reason to turn up and stick around. The Chicago Fire’s visibility will skyrocket.
Our world-class city deserves a world-class Club with a world-class home to match. A new, privately funded, soccer-specific stadium will open for the Chicago Fire in 2028. #cf97
— Chicago Fire FC (@ChicagoFire) June 3, 2025
Behind the scenes, there are huge positives too. Unlike many pro teams who seek public subsidy to part fund their stadiums, Mansueto is funding the South Loop mostly out of his own pocket. This gives him more control of the build, but also buys him the respect and gratitude of the fan base – and probably city officials too.
It’s a massive statement of intent. No one spends $650 million on something they’re not passionate about. Mansueto is clearly in this for the long haul, and that brings stability.
I think the new stadium will be a turning point for the Chicago Fire. The only way is up for them anyway as things currently stand, but I can certainly see their new home giving them a boost that will translate on the pitch.