Chris Brady, Sergio Oregel Jr., and Mauricio Pineda extend contracts with the Fire for multiple seasons
CHICAGO (Sept. 16, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC today announced that the Club has signed goalkeeper Chris Brady and midfielders Sergio Oregel Jr. and Mauricio Pineda to new contracts, reinforcing the Club’s commitment to developing and retaining top local talent. All three players were members of the Chicago Fire Academy, rising through the ranks to earn a first team contract as a Homegrown Player and making meaningful contributions to the Chicago Fire. Their new contracts mark a major step forward in the Club’s long-term vision and competitive ambitions.
Chicago currently has 14 players from the Chicagoland area on the first team roster, including nine players developed through the Chicago Fire Academy. Notably, the first team has started six former Chicago Fire Academy players in multiple matches – a club record – and has now signed six new homegrown contracts this season alone.
“We are proud to have so many players on the field who were raised in Chicago and represent our city and local fans,” said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “With our focus on player development and youth programming, we offer such a unique opportunity for local, rising soccer players to join our pipeline to the first team roster.”
Goalkeeper Chris Brady
Brady is now under contract with the Club through the 2029 season, with a Club option for 2030. Brady, 21, originally became the 19th Homegrown signing in Club history on March 24, 2020. Since making his first team debut on Oct. 9, 2022 against the New England Revolution, Brady has appeared in 87 regular season matches and posted 7,716 minutes for the Fire making him the Homegrown goalkeeper with the most first team appearances in Chicago Fire history.
The Naperville native has posted 18 clean sheets manning the net for the Men in Red and was named to the U.S. Men’s National Team roster for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Prior to being named to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for the regional tournament, Brady had represented the U.S. at the U-15, U-16, U-17, U-20, and U-23 age levels and helped the U.S. qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games at the Concacaf U-20 Championship in July 2022, in which he won the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best goalkeeper after keeping four-straight shutouts in the knockout stage, including the Olympic-clinching semifinal against host Honduras.
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC sign Chris Brady to new MLS contract that will run through the 2029 season with a Club option for 2030.
Name: Chris Brady
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 170 lbs.
Date of Birth: March 3, 2004
Hometown: Naperville, Illinois
Birthplace: Naperville, Illinois
Citizenship: USA
Sergio Oregel Jr.
Oregel Jr. is now under contract with the Club through the 2028 season, with a Club option for 2029. Oregel Jr., 20, became the 22nd Homegrown signing in Club history when he signed a first team contact on Oct. 23, 2021. The Chicago native originally joined the Fire Academy at the U-14 age level in 2018, in which he scored nine goals and registered 15 assists during his first season. He was also a key member of the Chicago Fire Academy U-19 team that captured the inaugural MLS NEXT U-19 Championship in July 2021. Following the tournament, Oregel Jr. was awarded the MLS NEXT U-19 Golden Ball which is given to the best player of the tournament in each age division.
The 2025 season has been a breakout one for Oregel Jr., who has started all 24 of the 26 games in which he has played this year, logging 1971 minutes and registering one assist. Oregel Jr. missed two games in June due to being named to the U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team for an international training camp in Cairo, Egypt. He was one of 10 players on the roster who helped the U.S. secure its U-20 FIFA World Cup berth with a runner up showing at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Mexico
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC signs Homegrown midfielder Sergio Oregel Jr. to a new contract. Oregel Jr. is now under contract with the Club through the 2028 season, with a Club option for 2029.
Name: Sergio Oregel Jr.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 144 lbs.
Date of Birth: May 16, 2005
Birthplace: Evergreen Park, Ill.
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Citizenship: USA
Midfielder Mauricio Pineda
Pineda is now under contract with the Club through the 2027 season, with a Club option for 2028. Pineda, 27, has been a consistent presence for the Chicago Fire since signing a Homegrown contract on Jan. 17, 2020. Over the course of six seasons, Pineda has played 149 matches with the Fire (118 starts), scoring seven goals and dishing out five assists as a defensive midfielder or defender.
Pineda became the first Homegrown Player in Club history to start in every match of the season during his rookie campaign and was named 2020 Chicago Fire FC Defensive Player of the Year. Prior to joining the first team, Pineda featured for the Fire Academy, helping the Club win the National Championship in 2015. Internationally, Pineda has represented the U.S. Men’s National Team at the U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels.
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC sign midfielder Mauricio Pineda to a new MLS contract that will run through the 2027 season with a Club option for 2028.
Name: Mauricio Pineda
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 171 lbs.
Date of Birth: October 17, 1997
Hometown: Bolingbrook, Illinois
Birthplace: Bolingbrook, Illinois
Citizenship: USA
College: University of North Carolina
