Match Information
Chicago Fire FC (11-8-6, 39 points) at Charlotte FC (12-7-7, 43 points)
Walmart Saturday Showdown
Saturday, September 26, 2026
6:30 p.m. CT
Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, N.C.
How to Watch:Â Apple TV
English: Steve Cangialosi, Danny Higginbotham & Andrew Wiebe
Spanish: Ramsés Sandoval, Miguel Gallardo & Michele Giannone
How to Listen: WLSam.com // TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2
English: Rudy Hodgson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Omar Ramos & Teresa Limon
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC will head to North Carolina for an Eastern Conference matchup against Charlotte FC on Saturday, Sept. 26. Kickoff for the Walmart Saturday Showdown at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.Â
Chicago remains on the road following a 3-0 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday night at GEODIS Park. The hosts took a 1-0 lead into halftime courtesy of leading scorer Sam Surridge. The Fire pressed forward, looking for an equalizer that would extend a single-season best 21-game scoring streak. Nashville contained the attack before putting the match out of reach with goals by Cristian Espinoza and Hany Mukhtar, avenging a 1-0 loss at Soldier Field in April.
Charlotte returns home seeking revenge for their last stumble in league play, a 2-1 loss at Soldier Field on Aug. 1. Since then, the Crown has not fallen in eight consecutive regular season matches. Captain Ashley Westwood opened the scoring in their last match against D.C. United on Saturday night in our nation’s capital. The opposing captain, Lucas Bartlett, equalized two minutes into the second half for the Black-and-Red. A wide-open match was then decided in stunning fashion by winger Allen Saint-Maximin, who struck a contested shot from a tight angle for his first goal with Charlotte and fifth win of the streak.
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. CLT: (4-5-0)
Last Game vs. CLT: Aug. 1, 2026 (2-1 W) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Game at CLT: May 17, 2025 (4-1 W) – Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, N.C. (Match Recap)
Hyundai Keys to the Match:
- Home Away from Home: Philip Zinckernagel has scored each time he has played in Charlotte, be it for the Fire or the MLS All-Star Team. Will he make it three-for-three in the Queen City?
- Working from Home: In a display of the quality Chicago has on its roster, seven players will be away with their national teams on Saturday. But the Men in Red have plenty more quality left that can get three points on the road.
- Home Stretch: Saturday’s match will be followed by three games in the span of eight days at Soldier Field. Three points in Charlotte could set the stage for a fruitful homecoming on the lakefront as the home stretch of the season arrives.
Match Notes
- Chicago Fire FC has beaten Charlotte FC in all head-to-head matches since the appointment of Director of Football & Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. After two wins by a combined score of 7-3 in 2025, the Fire defeated the Crown 2-1 in their only meeting so far this season.
- Philip Zinckernagel has enjoyed much success against Charlotte, recording two goals and two assists in all three meetings since last season. The Danish winger scored in each of his last two appearances at Bank of America Stadium – a 4-1 regular season victory on May 17, 2025, and a 4-3 win over the Liga MX All-Stars in the 2026 MLS All-Star Game on July 30.
- Forward Robert Lewandowski is tied with Zinckernagel for most goals scored against Charlotte among the current squad with two. Robin Lod, Jonathan Bamba and Mauricio Pineda each have scored once. Lod leads the current team with three assists, including the game-winning assist against Charlotte on August 1.
- The match will be the first against Charlotte since the Fire’s return to Soldier Field following a break for FIFA World Cup 2026. Robert Lewandowski scored both goals in the 2-1 victory, becoming the fourth player in Fire history to score multiple goals in his home debut. He will not score a third against Charlotte this Saturday, as he will be on international duty with the Poland Men’s National Team for UEFA Nations League matches.
- Beside Lewandowski, goalkeeper Chris Brady (United States); defender Noah Allen (Greece U-21); midfielders Robin Lod (Finland), Anzor Mekvabishvili (Georgia) and Robert Turdean (U-17 USMNT); and forward Puso Dithejane (South Africa) will report for international duty this week.
Starting XI
Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has named the following Starting XI looking for a fourth consecutive victory against Charlotte FC:
- Tonight’s starting lineup will feature five changes from last Saturday’s road match against Nashville SC.
- For the first time since the 2-1 victory over Toronto FC on May 23 – his last match before representing South Africa at FIFA World Cup 2026 – Mbekezeli Mbokazi will start in the heart of the backline for Chicago. The center back will line up alongside Jack Elliott, who dons the captain’s armband in his 280th regular season appearance.
- Josh Cohen will make his first appearance in any competition with Chicago after two seasons with Atlanta United FC. The goalkeeper will fill in for Chris Brady, who misses his first game of the season while on international duty with the U.S Men’s National Team.
- Assisting Cohen, Elliott and Mbokazi in defense of the Fire goal is Leonardo Barroso. He makes his first start at left back in his 14th appearance of 2026, playing opposite right back Jonathan Dean in his 97th appearance with Chicago.
- Jonathan Bamba makes his first start since Aug. 22 on the left wing of the Fire attack. The winger enjoyed a fruitful 73 minutes in his last appearance at Bank of America Stadium, scoring and assisting in the 4-1 win on May 17, 2025.
- Johan Gómez will start for the second time in the last three matches, this time in the front line. He will pair up with Maren Haile-Selassie, who is one goal away from a four-way tie for 10th all-time in goals scored in Club history.
- With two goals and two assists in three matches against Charlotte, Philip Zinckernagel starts for the 25th time this season on the right wing. He will share the midfield with Sergio Oregel Jr., who starts for a third game in a row alongside Dje D’Avilla.
- Goalkeeper Jeff Gal, defenders Sam Rogers and Andrew Gutman, midfielders Mauricio Pineda, David Poreba, Oscar Pineda and Brody Williams, and forward Dean Boltz are all available for selection off the bench in Charlotte.
- Beside Brady, defender Noah Allen (Greece U-21); midfielders Robin Lod (Finland), Anzor Mekvabishvili (Georgia) and Robert Turdean (United States U-17); and forwards Puso Dithejane (South Africa) and Robert Lewandowski (Poland) are currently on international duty with their respective national teams and are unavailable for selection.
- Midfielder Anton Salétros (Lower Body) is unavailable for selection, while midfielder André Franco (Lower Body) remains on the Injured List.
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