CHICAGO (Oct. 23, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC and Major League Soccer today announced that winger Philip Zinckernagel was named as one of the three finalists for the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year award, along with Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC) and Son Heung-Min (LAFC).
MLS announced the finalists for the 2025 MLS Year-End Awards, honoring the league’s top performers during the MLS regular season. The finalists for the annual awards earned the highest average votes from MLS club technical staff, MLS first-team players, and select media members, with each group accounting for 33.3 percent of the overall results.
Zinckernagel joined Chicago in January 2025 and went on to become the first player in Fire history to record 15 goals and 15 assists in one season. His 30 goal contributions during the regular season broke the previous record of 28 set by Nemanja Nikolić in 2017. Zinckernagel also broke Chicago’s single season assist record previously held by Jerzy Podbrozny (1998) and Piotr Nowak (2000).
Chicago notched a Club-record nine road victories during the 2025 MLS regular season, largely due to Zinckernagel’s 18 goal contributions away from home, good for third in the league. He recorded a goal or an assist in 10 consecutive matches, tying the MLS record set by Atlanta’s Josef MartÃnez in 2018.
With his two assists in the Audi 2025 MLS Playoffs Eastern Conference Wild Card game, Zinckernagel became the first Fire player with multiple assists in a postseason match since Calen Carr’s two in Chicago’s 2-2 draw at D.C. United on Nov. 1, 2007, at RFK Stadium.
Earlier this year, the Danish winger was selected to the 2025 MLS All-Star Roster by All-Star head coach Nico Estévez. It was the first MLS All-Star inclusion for Zinckernagel, who was the first Fire player to be named to an All-Star roster since Kei Kamara was named as a Commissioner’s Pick to the 2023 MLS All-Star Team.
Landon Donovan MLS MVP
- Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
- Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
- Evander (FC Cincinnati)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF)
- Sam Surridge (Nashville SC)
Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year
- Bradley Carnell (Philadelphia Union)
- Jesper Sørensen (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
- Mikey Varas (San Diego FC)
Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award
- Ryan Hollingshead (LAFC)
- Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)
- Brad Stuver (Austin FC)
MLS Comeback Player of the Year
- Lawrence Ennali (Houston Dynamo FC)
- Nick Hagglund (FC Cincinnati)
- Richie Laryea (Toronto FC)
MLS Defender of the Year
- Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
- Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union)
- Kai Wagner (Philadelphia Union)
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
- Matt Freese (New York City FC)
- Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC)
- Yohei Takaoka (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MLS Newcomer of the Year
- Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
- Son Heung-Min (LAFC)
- Philip Zinckernagel (Chicago Fire FC)
MLS Young Player of the Year
- Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC)
- Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake)
- Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC)
The MLS AT&T Goal of the Year (Vote Here) and MLS Save of the Year (Vote Here), which includes a save from Chicago Fire FC Homegrown goalkeeper Chris Brady, will be decided by online voting at MLSsoccer.com, with winners announced on Monday, Oct. 27. Voting opened on Monday, Oct. 20 and will close on Friday, Oct. 24.
