BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Chicago Fire FC’s final match of the 2026 MLS regular season is just about two hours away. The Fire host Columbus Crew today, Saturday, November 7, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT at SeatGeek Stadium. A playoff berth is already secured, but Chicago still has something significant to settle: home-field advantage in the opening round.
Decision Day: What Chicago Is Playing For
Chicago enters the finale in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. Charlotte FC is fifth with 53, making its simultaneous trip to Inter Miami the other game Fire supporters will be watching closely.
According to MLS’s official Decision Day scenarios, Chicago secures home-field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series with a win over Columbus. The Fire also keep that advantage if Charlotte loses or draws at Miami. Charlotte takes it instead if it wins and Chicago fails to beat the Crew.
That makes the assignment straightforward for Gregg Berhalter’s team: win at home and remove the need to follow the out-of-town scoreboard.
Lineups: Projected Teams Ahead of Kickoff
These are projected lineups, not confirmed starting XIs. Chicago’s official matchday guide says Berhalter will announce his starters approximately one hour before kickoff. The following projections are based on Sports Mole’s pregame team preview and remain subject to change.
Chicago Fire FC: Chris Brady; Jonathan Dean, Jack Elliott, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Noah Allen; Anton Salétros, Djé D’Avilla, Maren Haile-Selassie; Philip Zinckernagel, Jonathan Bamba, Johan Gómez.
Columbus Crew: Patrick Schulte; Mohamed Farsi, Steven Moreira, Sean Zawadzki, Malte Amundsen; Zaroury, Dylan Chambost, Sékou Bangoura, Taha Habroune; Gonzalo Tapia, Santiago Rodríguez.
Chicago lists Sam Rogers and Robin Lod as unavailable with lower-body injuries, while Mauricio Pineda is questionable.
Bamba and Lewandowski Give Chicago Momentum
The Fire arrive after a 4-2 road win over Colorado on October 31. Jonathan Bamba scored twice, Robert Lewandowski delivered the winning goal off the bench, and Puso Dithejane added a late finish.
Chicago’s attacking depth gives Berhalter options as he weighs his starting group and potential second-half changes. Lewandowski’s contribution in Colorado is a reminder that the decisive moment can come from a substitute.
The win also brought Chicago’s season total to 61 goals, giving the club consecutive regular seasons with at least 60 for the first time.
Columbus Has Its Own Postseason Stakes
The Crew have already clinched a playoff berth following their 3-0 win over D.C. United and favorable results elsewhere. In MLS’s pre-Decision Day bracket, Columbus occupies the No. 8 seed, which would mean a Wild Card meeting with No. 9 Orlando City.
For Chicago, the challenge is to control the game without allowing the visitors to turn an important afternoon into a frustrating finish.
What Comes Next for the Fire?
The regular season ends today, followed by a pause for the November international window. The MLS playoffs begin with Wild Card matches on November 19. Chicago is positioned to enter directly into Round One, with Charlotte its projected opponent in the league’s current bracket.
Round One is a best-of-three series: the higher seed hosts Game 1 and, if needed, Game 3. The lower seed hosts Game 2. Game 1 dates run November 20–24, Game 2 is scheduled for November 27–28, and deciding third games are set for December 1–2. Chicago’s exact match dates and kickoff times remain to be finalized.
MLS Cup is scheduled for December 18. Today’s result will help determine how favorable Chicago’s first step toward that final will be.
How to Watch Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew
- Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Illinois
- Streaming: Apple TV
- Local radio: wlsam.com in English; TUDN Chicago 106.7-HD2 in Spanish
Pregame preview prepared approximately two hours before kickoff. Projected lineups may change; confirmed starters were not available in the club’s matchday guide at the time of writing.
