The Swiss winger to remain with the Club through the 2028-29 season
CHICAGO (Oct. 9, 2026) – Chicago Fire FC today announced that the Club has signed winger Maren Haile-Selassie to a new contract. Haile-Selassie is now under contract with the Club through the 2028-29 season.
“Maren has earned this contract through the work he puts in every day,” said Chicago Fire FC Director of Football and Head Coach Gregg Berhalter. “He’s always looking to improve, and we believe his best football is still ahead of him. He gives us versatility and quality on the field and leadership in the locker room. He puts the team first and is a model professional to build around for the long term.”
So far in 2026, Haile-Selassie leads the team with 18 goal contributions, including nine goals and nine assists. Most recently, he became the eighth player in Club history to record 50+ goal contributions after a goal and assist in Chicago’s 3-1 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Soldier Field. His combined 51 goal contributions are sixth-most among all players in Club history; his 22nd goal with Chicago moved him into a tie for 10th place all-time among goal scorers, and his 29th assist tied him with Jesse Marsch for seventh place on the all-time assist list.
“Chicago has become my second home and I’m proud to continue representing this city and this Club,” said Haile-Selassie. “Over the past few seasons, I’ve grown a lot as a player and I’ve seen how much we've grown together as a team. The Club has made tremendous progress, and I believe in the direction we're heading and in what we can achieve together. I'm excited for what’s ahead and I want to help bring success and trophies to Chicago.”
Haile-Selassie, 27, has played in 116 MLS regular season matches for the Fire since joining the Club on loan from sister club FC Lugano in December 2022. Following the 2023 season, in which the Swiss winger won the team’s Golden Boot with six goals, Chicago exercised the option on Haile-Selassie's loan to keep him in Chicago on a permanent basis.
Haile-Selassie has made 137 appearances across all competitions for the Fire, including the MLS Regular Season, MLS Cup Playoffs, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup. Prior to joining the Men in Red, he appeared in 199 matches across all competitions and leagues in Switzerland, including 63 appearances in the Super League and 70 appearances in the Challenge League. Additionally, Haile-Selassie was a key part of Swiss Super League side FC Lugano’s 2022 Cup-winning team, scoring a goal in the 4-1 victory against St. Gallen in the Swiss Cup Final. The young winger originally joined FC Lugano on Dec. 20, 2021, from Swiss Club Neuchatel Xamax.
The versatile winger made his professional debut for FC Zürich against Thun on July 30, 2017. Prior to making the jump to the FC Zürich first team, Haile-Selassie made 65 appearances for the club at the U-17, U-18, U-19 and U-21 levels. In 2019, he was loaned to Rapperswil-Jona where he played 18 matches and scored two goals. The following year, he joined Neuchâtel Xamax for the 2019-2020 season (24 appearances, one goal) and Wil for the 2020-2021 season (35 appearances, seven goals) on loan from Zürich. He signed with Neuchâtel Xamax for the 2021-2022 season before joining FC Lugano in December.
Born in Switzerland to Ethiopian parents, Haile-Selassie has represented the Switzerland National Team at the U-18, U-19 and U-20 levels.
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC signs winger Maren Haile-Selassie to a new contract through the 2028-29 season.
Name: Maren Haile-Selassie
Position: Winger
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Date of Birth: March 13, 1999
Hometown: Zürich, Switzerland
Birthplace: Zürich, Switzerland
Citizenship: Switzerland
