Chicago Fire Closes Regular Season With 4-3 Loss to Columbus
Chicago Fire FC wrapped up the 2026 MLS Regular Season with a 4-3 defeat against the Columbus Crew on Saturday afternoon at SeatGeek Stadium.
Despite the loss, the Fire locked down the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference for the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Forward Robert Lewandowski powered the Chicago attack with two goals on the afternoon, bringing his regular-season tally to nine goals and five assists. The Polish striker opened the scoring just minutes into the match by converting a penalty kick after a Columbus defender handled a shot in the box.
Columbus forward Gonzalo Tapia leveled the score in the 16th minute. Soon after, the referee pointed to the spot a second time following a foul on winger Philip Zinckernagel. Lewandowski converted again in the 22nd minute to put Chicago ahead 2-1.
The lead vanished almost immediately when Columbus equalized shortly after. Just before halftime, however, the Fire reclaimed the advantage.
Four minutes into first half stoppage time, Zinckernagel sent a ball forward to captain Anton Salétros on the right wing, who crossed toward Lewandowski. Lewandowski’s header glanced off the near post, landing perfectly for Maren Haile-Selassie to finish easily.
Columbus Secures Victory as Chicago Reaches Historic Scoring Marks
Tapia struck again just past the hour mark to tie the match at 3-3. Both sides pushed for a winner through the remainder of regulation before Columbus secured the decisive goal three minutes into stoppage time.
The result leaves Chicago with a 16-11-7 record and 55 points, marking the club’s highest finish in the Eastern Conference standings since taking third place in 2017. The team also finished the campaign with 65 total goals, marking the third-highest scoring season in club history behind the 68 goals scored last year and 67 scored in 2000.
Haile-Selassie secured a share of the team’s 2026 Golden Boot with his 13th goal of the season. The strike marked his sixth consecutive home match with a goal, setting the longest home scoring streak for the club since Nemanja Nikolić scored in seven straight matches between 2017 and 2018.
Midfielder André Franco made his first home appearance since the 2025 season. His previous home match also came against Columbus on September 27, 2025, during a 1-1 draw at Soldier Field.
With postseason qualification already secured, the Fire advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second consecutive year. Chicago will face Charlotte FC in a Best-of-3 series, with dates and locations to be announced by the league.
