Neymar’s future could be decided as early as January. Reports indicate that the Brazilian superstar is in negotiations with three Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, with the Chicago Fire leading the discussions. A Chicago Fire delegation even went to Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Al Hilal.
However, Neymar isn’t the Chicago Fire’s only Brazilian connection. This Sunday, the club will face Fortaleza in a friendly match scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (Brasília time) in Orlando, Florida, which will be broadcast live on Disney+.
As the Chicago Fire look to potentially sign Neymar by January 2025, here are five intriguing facts about the club:
1. Joe Mansueto, the owner of the club, is among the 500 richest people in the world according to Forbes. At 68 years old, his personal fortune is estimated at $6.9 billion, or approximately R$42 billion at the current exchange rate. Much of his wealth goes to philanthropy; he donated $25 million to build a massive library at the University of Chicago and recently contributed $35 million to establish a center for urban studies at the same institution.
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2. Mansueto is well known for his investments in purchasing and renovating historic buildings in Chicago, including the famous Wrigley Building, which he acquired for $255 million.
3. He first bought 49% of the Fire’s shares in 2018, then acquired the remaining 51% the following year. In total, Mansueto invested around $400 million to become the full owner of the club and continues to invest heavily. Currently, he is building a training center for the team which will include seven fields, at an estimated cost of $100 million, or more than R$600 million.
-4. One of Mansueto’s main goals for revitalizing the franchise is to attract fans to the stadium again. A major part of that plan involves signing a high-profile player, and Neymar is at the top of the list, especially since the current Chicago Fire squad is lacking star players.
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5. Founded on October 8, 1997, the Chicago Fire aims to become a force to be reckoned with in MLS. The club won the MLS Cup in 1998, but has the league’s longest playoff qualifying drought, with its last postseason appearance coming in 2017.
Gregg Berhalter was announced by Mansueto last October to lead the franchise’s transformation. Aged 51, Berhalter began his football journey as a defender, playing for the United States national team. He began his coaching career in 2011 with Hammarby in Sweden, but it was his time with Columbus Crew from 2013 to 2018 that earned him significant recognition. During a trip to Brazil in 2017, his team faced São Paulo, then coached by Rogério Ceni, and suffered a heavy 7–0 defeat.
When Berhalter took over the U.S. national team in December 2018, his mission was to lead the country back to the World Cup after missing the tournament in Russia. In addition to fulfilling this goal, he led the team to victories in the 2021 Gold Cup and the 2020 and 2024 Nations League titles before leaving his position last July.
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