Match Information
Chicago Fire FC (3-2-1, 10 points) vs. Atlanta United FC (1-4-1, 4 points)
Saturday, April 11, 2026
7:30 p.m. CT
Soldier Field – Chicago
How to Watch:Â Apple TV
English: Evan Weston & Dax McCarty
Spanish: Sergio Ruiz & Walter Roque
How to Listen:Â WLS 890 AMÂ //Â TUDN Chicago 106.7 HD2 | Uforia by TREBEL App
English: Max Anderson & Joe Chatz
Spanish: Omar Ramos & Teresa Limón
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC will remain on the lakefront for an Eastern Conference matchup against Atlanta United FC on Saturday, April 11.
The Men in Red enter Saturday in strong form, earning their second win in a row against an Eastern Conference rival with a 1-0 victory over Nashville SC on April 4. Winger Philip Zinckernagel opened his 2026 account with the fastest goal in Club history, a 17th-second strike that was also the 10th fastest goal in league history. The opening salvo was the difference in the match as Chris Brady recorded four saves in his third clean sheet of the season, enough to hand Nashville their first loss in MLS play this year.
The Five Stripes return to the road after a four-game homestand capped off by a loss to Columbus Crew on Saturday. The visitors took a 2-0 lead thanks to a Wessam Abou Ali brace before midfielder Alexey Miranchuk tallied his club-leading fourth goal of 2026 for Atlanta. But the Crew put the game away for good in the 61st minute courtesy of Max Arfsten, dealing Atlanta their second loss of the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. ATL:Â (5-8-4)
Last Match vs. ATL: May 10, 2025 (2-1 W) – Soldier Field – Chicago (Match Recap)
Last Match at ATL: April 26, 2025 (2-2 D) – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta (Match Recap)
Hyundai Keys to the Match:
- Man on Fire:Â Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady was selected to the MLS Team of the Match for his third shutout in six game last week against Nashville. His current hot form will be key against a tough Eastern Conference foe like Atlanta.
- The Magnificent Seven: Chicago’s number seven, Maren Haile-Selassie, could make his seventh appearance of the season against Atlanta and 96th overall with Chicago. His contributions have been key all season, whether on defense, as a winger, on the bench or on the starting XI.
- He Got Game: Philip Zinckernagel scored his first goal of the 2026 season 16 seconds into last Saturday’s match. The defending Team MVP is heating up at the right time, with two road matches next week before three straight at home.
Match Notes
- Chicago is second in the Eastern Conference with five goals allowed, two more than first-place Nashville. The strong defensive start to 2026 is tied for the fourth-best through the opening six games in Club history; the Fire has allowed five goals or fewer in the opening six matches just five times since 1998.
- Besides scoring the fastest goal in Club history, Philip Zinckernagel also became the first Fire player to have more than one goal against Nashville. Last year’s team MVP will look to continue his surging form against Atlanta, against whom he scored and assisted in their last matchup on July 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- After recording his 20th career regular season clean sheet in the win against Nashville, goalkeeper Chris Brady will look for his first victory against Atlanta United, against whom he has recorded one shutout in five matches. His next appearance will be the 99th of the regular season for Chicago, one away from joining 22 players who have reached the century mark in Fire history.
- Forward Hugo Cuypers has opened the 2026 regular season with four goals in four matches and is now chasing a tie for the longest scoring streak in Fire history. Forwards David Accam and Robert Berić are tied with five consecutive games with a goal; Cuypers can join them if he tallies on Saturday. The Belgian striker has scored once in four matches against Atlanta.
- No current Atlanta United player has scored more than one goal against the Fire. Midfielders Sergio Santos, Alexey Miranchuk and William Reilly have all scored once against Chicago, while Miguel Almiron has assisted three times in series history.
For instant updates, follow Chicago Fire FC on X (@chicagofire and @VamosFire using hashtags #cf97), Instagram (@chicagofire), TikTok (@chicagofire), Facebook at facebook.com/chicagofire/, Threads (@chicagofire) and Bluesky (@chicagofire.bsky.social).
