Expanded relationship includes Wintrust support across Chicago community programming, matchday activations, and exclusive member benefits
CHICAGO (June 10, 2026) — Chicago Fire FC today announced an expanded long-term partnership with Wintrust, reinforcing the bank’s role in supporting the Club and Chicago through current activations and fan engagement, and as the first Cornerstone Partner of the Club’s new stadium, McDonald’s Park, which will open in 2028.
This agreement positions Wintrust at the center of connecting with fans through community programming, matchday activations, and exclusive customer benefits. In addition to their stadium and community presence, Wintrust serves as a lender for the stadium.
As part of the opening of McDonald’s Park in 2028, Wintrust will serve as a Cornerstone Partner of the Club, as well as the Fire’s official Banking Partner, with a presence across an annual Theme Night, fan-focused stadium activations, and expanded cardholder benefits.
“We’re proud to expand our partnership with Wintrust, a brand that shares our commitment to Chicago, our fans, and our community,” said Dave Baldwin, President of Business Operations at Chicago Fire FC. “As we build momentum into the Club’s next era, this partnership will continue to lay the foundation for even greater impact in the years ahead.”
“We are excited to deepen our relationship with Chicago Fire FC and support an organization that is building energy for the future of our city,” said Amy Yuhn at Wintrust. “Our commitment goes beyond banking – through financial wellness, education, and community resources, this partnership creates meaningful value for Fire fans and Chicagoans.”
Wintrust and the Fire began their partnership in 2022 with a shared commitment to make soccer accessible for the Chicago community. In their expanded partnership, Wintrust will remain a Supporting Partner of the P.L.A.Y.S. Program, which includes a series of Financial Literacy Nights for families in the Club’s youth program. In addition to in-season engagement, the partnership will continue to feature a co-branded Chicago Fire debit card offering perks across ticketing, retail, and stadium hospitality. For the current 2026 season, Wintrust will support the Fire’s Homecoming Red Out Theme Night on July 16, when the Men In Red return from a six-week international break to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC. As part of the Homecoming Red Out Theme Night, 5,000 fans will receive a foam finger giveaway.
For regular Club updates, follow Chicago Fire FC on X (@chicagofire using hashtags #cf97), Instagram (@chicagofire), TikTok (@chicagofire), Facebook at facebook.com/chicagofire/, Threads (@chicagofire) and Bluesky (@chicagofire.bsky.social).
For more information on Wintrust, visit wintrust.com or follow Wintrust on LinkedIn, Instagram (@wintrust), and Facebook at facebook.com/wintrust.
About Chicago Fire Football Club
Chicago Fire Football Club (Chicago Fire FC) is a professional soccer club that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS). One of the league’s first expansion teams — founded on Oct. 8, 1997 (the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire) — the Club has earned six major domestic trophies, including four U.S. Open Cups and the 2003 Supporters’ Shield, and returned to the playoffs in 2025, winning its first postseason match since 2009.
The Club recently began construction on its privately funded, soccer-specific stadium, McDonald’s Park, in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, a transformational new home set to open in 2028. The team currently plays at historic Soldier Field and trains at Chicago’s Endeavor Health Performance Center, a $100 million state-of-the-art facility that opened in 2025.
The Club’s development pathway includes Chicago Fire II, which competes in MLS NEXT Pro, and the Chicago Fire Academy, featuring five teams from U-13 to U-18. Off the field, the Chicago Fire Foundation — internationally recognized, including as ESPN’s 2019 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year — has made significant contributions to enhance the lives of disadvantaged youth throughout Chicagoland, providing more than $10 million back to the community. For more information, visit chicagofirefc.com.
About Wintrust
Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $71 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its “Different Approach, Better Results” philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges. For more information, please visit wintrust.com.
