CHICAGO (Sept. 1, 2026) – Chicago Fire FC today announced that the Club has signed Georgian midfielder Anzor Mekvabishvili from Romanian Liga 1 side Universitatea Craiova via transfer.
Mekvabishvili will occupy an international slot on the Fire’s roster, pending completion of a medical and receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). His contract with the Fire will run through the 2028-29 season, with a Club option for the 2029-30 season.
“We're excited to add a player of Anzor's pedigree to the Club," said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. "He is a proven competitor whose experience at both the international level and in European competition will be a valuable asset to our group. Being recognized as Player of the Year on a championship-winning team speaks to the consistency, leadership and impact he brings. We believe he will play an important role in strengthening our midfield and raising the level of the squad.”
Mekvabishvili, 25, joins the Chicago Fire with more than 230 appearances across various competitions in Europe and four championship titles. The Georgian international is accustomed to playing in meaningful and competitive matches and was crowned 2025-26 Romanian champion, 2025-26 Romanian Cup champion and 2026-27 Romanian Super Cup winner with Universitatea Craiova. He also won the 2020-21 Georgian SuperCup with Dinamo Tbilisi.
His professional career began in 2019 with Dinamo Tbilisi of the Georgian Erovnuli Liga where he participated in the Erovnuli Liga, the David Kipiani Cup, UEFA Champions League qualifying and UECL qualifying before moving to Romania and Universitatea Craiova.
At the international level, Mekvabishvili has earned 33 caps for the Georgia national team including international friendlies, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, European qualifiers, UEFA Nations League, UEFA Euro and European qualifiers. He also represented Georgia at the U-16 through U-21 age level.
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC acquires Georgian midfielder Anzor Mekvabishvili from Romanian Liga 1 club Universitatea Craiova via transfer through the 2028-29 season, which a Club option for the 2029-30 season.
Name: Anzor Mekvabishvili (AN-zohr meck-vah-bish-VIL-ee)
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 150 lbs.
Date of Birth: June 5, 2001
Hometown: Tiflis, Georgia
Birthplace: Tiflis, Georgia
Citizenship: Georgia
Last Club: Universitatea Craiova
