Charlotte FC vs Chicago Fire match
The gist
Chicago Fire finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with 55 points; Charlotte took fifth with 53.
The fourth seed hosts Game One of a best-of-three first-round series.
How it unfolded
- Aug 1, 2026Chicago beat Charlotte 2-1 at Soldier Field, with Robert Lewandowski scoring both goals in his home debut — his first two in MLS.
- Sep 26, 2026Chicago beat Charlotte 1-0 at Bank of America Stadium on a Johan Gómez goal, ending Charlotte's eight-match unbeaten streak.
- Nov 1, 2026Inter Miami's 2-1 win over New England confirmed Chicago and Charlotte would fill positions 4 and 5 in the East and meet in a best-of-three first-round series.
Key terms
- Eastern Conference
- One of Major League Soccer's two conferences, comprising clubs east of the Mississippi River.
- best-of-three
- A playoff format where the winner is decided by total points or goals scored across two legs.
- seed
- The practice of separating the most skilled competitors in a tournament bracket so they do not meet in early rounds.
Source: Wikipedia