PC: Kenneth Fernandez/LMD Media Group
With the FIFA World Cup less than a month away and 26-man rosters starting to be released by the participating teams, the Fire (7W-2D-4L) are tuning out all the World Cup noise ahead of their last matchup before the seven-week break against Toronto FC (3W-5D-5L).
The Men in Red will take on a Toronto squad that has experienced a more severe version of similar injury and game time rotational conflicts.
Ahead of the team's match against Charlotte FC, Toronto FC Head Coach Robin Fraser went into the match with nearly half of his entire roster unavailable to play, with 13 out of the 27 players on the roster suffering from either a pelvis, knee, adductor, groin, foot, or knee injury.
Due to the constant rotation of lineups and injury crisis, Toronto will travel to Chicago on an eight-game winless streak across all competitions.
For the Fire, Leonardo Barroso (lower body) and André Franco (lower body) have been ruled out for the upcoming match. Jonathan Bamba (not due to injury), Sergio Oregel Jr. (head), and Anton Saléros (head) have been listed as questionable and will be game time decisions.
After responding to a three-game losing streak in all competitions with back-to-back wins against D.C United and CF Montreal, Chicago looks to end the first half of the MLS regular season in the winning column.
Although Chicago is currently a top-five team in the Eastern Conference, the club has a history of struggling against teams they are favored against that play with a chip on their shoulder.
"You never know what can happen in this league, and just staying focused for 90 minutes for us is going to be a crucial part of the game, and not get sucked into the way another team has to play," Fire defender Jack Elliott said. "Those teams that are doing everything but not quite getting the [positive] result are always difficult to play because they are hungry and do everything to get a result."
Two of Elliott's defensive teammates, Joel Waterman (Canada) and Mbekezeli Mbokazi (South Africa), have been in contention to secure World Cup spots for their national teams.
The South African defender was recently included in the preliminary squad for the South Africa National Team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
"He’s an incredible player, a physical specimen [that] understands the game very well and is good positions to defend, and helps out in any way," Elliott said about his experience playing with Mbokazi for the first half of the MLS regular season. "It's been a pleasure playing with him, and hopefully we get many years [playing] together."
Waterman is currently on standby for the release of the 26-man roster for the Canadian Men's National Team, set to be announced on May 29.
Fire goalkeeper Chris Brady is also waiting for his potential calling to the USMNT, which is scheduled to be released on May 26. The Naperville native has been consistent for the Fire with six clean sheets this season.
"It’s about players doing as much as they can to control whatever they can control," Fire Head Coach Gregg Berhalter said about players competing for a spot on a World Cup roster. "With a guy like Chris, that's exactly what he did. He has to be comfortable with whatever decision the coach makes, and he gave his best effort."
Aside from focusing on the game at hand this Saturday, Berhalter has a clear understanding of what the club is striving to accomplish during the World Cup break. The former USMNT Head Coach maintained a "job not finished" mentality when asked questions about World Cup topics and emphasized his focus on the Toronto matchup during the pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend.
For the organization, the [World Cup] break is about how do we get better in the second half of the season," Berhalter said. "We’ll really evaluate how we performed in the first half and look at how we [can] add to the squad to continue to improve. We need to make sure that we are ahead of the curve and keep improving the squad."
One of the most promising possibilities for improving the Fire's attacking unit this year has been the pursuit of Robert Lewandowski this summer.
With the Polish striker's contract set to expire this summer, the global icon officially announced earlier this month that he would leave FC Barcelona at the end of the 2025–26 season. Barcelona has since confirmed the decision.
The big question for Fire fans is whether or not the team truly needs to add Lewandowski to the roster.
It has been reported that the club has offered the 37-year-old a contract worth €20 million per season, including bonuses.
"[Lewandowski is] someone we are pursuing, and we think that both the Polish community and the whole community of Chicago will get behind this signing," Berhalter said. "We think it is a fantastic signing for the club, the city, and for the league. A player like that can only add to our group and add to our talent. We already have a really strong attacking team, and to add to that would make us much stronger."
Led by Fire forward Hugo Cuypers, Chicago has been a strong attacking team this year, scoring 25 goals in MLS play alone.
Cuypers continues to have a historic start to the 2026 season, scoring in every game he has touched the field and recording 13 goals. The Belgian forward is only the third player in MLS history to score in 10 consecutive regular-season appearances.
Considering Berhalter's hints on potential roster changes coming this summer, the Fire will keep their options open and won't rule out a proposal they can't refuse heading into the World Cup break.
"We are always looking to improve [the team], we are looking at every position and [thinking about] how do we get better," Berhalter said. "Some may be [a] long-term view we are taking, and some may be short-term. We also want to help our players here to perform at their highest level."
Chicago will take on Toronto FC on May 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Soldier Field.
