The Chicago Fire are looking to be out of Soldier Field by 2028.
The Fire revealed on Tuesday plans to build a privately funded, soccer-specific stadium along the Chicago River, per a club announcement. Projected to have roughly 22,000 seats, the Fire’s stadium project has an estimated cost of $650 million and is expected to open in the spring of 2028.
“A world-class city deserves a world-class football club — with a world-class home to match,” Fire club chairman and owner Joe Mansueto said.
“Our privately funded stadium is purpose-built for soccer to give our players an edge and our fans an incredible matchday experience. This development will be transformative for both the Chicago Fire FC and the city of Chicago. Our new stadium will be the anchor of this new neighborhood which will build community, create thousands of jobs, and have a significant positive economic impact.”
Mansueto also revealed that the project will include an entertainment district with restaurants, retail and office space and residential buildings, along with green space and an extension of the Chicago Riverwalk.
The stadium itself will feature a natural grass playing surface, in comparison to some other venues which have turf.
“Joe Mansueto isn’t just building a soccer stadium, he’s reshaping the future of soccer in Chicago,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. “This is one of the most ambitious stadium projects in Major League Soccer history, and a powerful reflection of Joe’s extraordinary commitment to the Fire, the fans, and the city. I toured the site recently, and there’s no doubt that this will be a transformative moment for the club and a landmark for Chicago sports.”
The Fire have been at Soldier Field since relocating from SeatGeek Stadium in 2020.
Would be great for that team. Hope it happens.
As big as Chicago is, there is no way they should have had a team as unambitious as the Fire were. I looked, though, and apparently Joe Mansueto bought 49% of the team in 2018 and the rest of it in September 2019…which means, the next two years were COVID years, when “ambition” wasn’t exactly on offer for anybody. And he did bring in Xerdan Shaquiri in 2022. So it’s clear Mansueto at least has big plans and the juice to pull them off…getting a stadium signed off on in a huge city like Chicago is not exactly easy, as Beckham found out with Miami.
Of course, MLS really needs to figure out how to stop handcuffing themselves, because now that USL has top-tier status, if some really ambitious owner wants to come in and build a superpower, he just needs to concentrate on being PSG, annihilate the USL, and then go hunting MLS teams in the US Open and CONCACAF Champions Cup. $50 million a season buys you a roster you could wipe out North America with, and when Garber is shaking down new arrivals with $500 million expansion fees, I know where I’d put my money if I was a prospective owner.
This is very true. I’m hoping someone tries it. How awesome will the USOC become with a few badass USL teams spending like that in the mix? I could see Phoenix making a run at it.
This is very true. I’m hoping someone tries it. How awesome will the USOC become with a few badass USL teams spending like that in the mix? I could see Phoenix making a run at it.