Match Information
Chicago Fire FC II (0-0-0-0, 0 points) at Inter Miami CF II (0-0-0-0, 0 points)
Friday, Feb. 27, 2026
6:00 p.m. CT
Inter Miami CF Stadium – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
How to Watch: OneFootball | MLSNEXTPro.com
Play-by-Play: Jake Griffith
Match Preview
Chicago Fire FC II kicks off the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season with a road trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla, to take on Inter Miami CF II. The match will officially open the 2026 season with first kick at 6 p.m. CT at Inter Miami CF Stadium.
Head Coach Mike Matkovich leads the team for the second-straight year, after finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference in 2025 and advancing to the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs for a third consecutive year. Chicago boasts some new faces as the team welcomes 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick Jack Sandmeyer and former Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Mateo Clark to its ranks.
Matkovich’s squad looks to continue building on the strength of last season, in which the team lead the league with 69 goals and 45 assists. Chicago claimed the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot for the second consecutive season as Jason Shokalook scored 20 goals in 2025 on the heels of David Poreba scoring 18 to earn the honors in 2024.
Miami returns to the field following a tough 2025 campaign where it finished 14th in a competitive Eastern conference. But the Herons had plenty to smile about, including the Miami academy duo of Mateo Saja and Daniel Pinter, who scored a total of 23 goals last year and could be a factor this season.
Midfielder Trip Fleming leads Chicago Fire II in a preseason friendly against Indy Eleven (Joe Gentry | Indy Eleven)
All-Time MLS Regular Season Record vs. MIA: (3-1-2-2)
Last Game vs. MIA: July 6, 2024 (2-2 SOW) – SeatGeek Stadium – Bridgeview, Ill. (Match Recap)
Last Game at MIA: June 25, 2025 (3-1 W) – Chase Stadium – Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Match Recap)
For instant updates, follow Chicago Fire FC II on X (@ChicagoFireFCII using hashtag #cf97), Instagram (@chicagofirefcii), and Facebook at facebook.com/chicagofireii/ and Threads (@chicagofirefcii).
