By Alejandro Guzmán
Chicago Fire FC hosts Santos Laguna this Sunday at SeatGeek Stadium in the 2026 Leagues Cup. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT, with the match available on Apple TV.
Chicago opened its Leagues Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Necaxa, while Santos Laguna fell 2-0 to New York City FC. The result extended Santos' difficult run, as the Liga MX side has not won an official match since April 26.
Sunday's match will be the first meeting between the clubs in an official competition. The teams previously faced each other in an international friendly on Sept. 8, 2012, when they played to a 2-2 draw at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- 1st meeting all-time between the two sides
- Record at Leagues Cup:  Chicago Fire (2-4), Santos Laguna (1-8)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Chicago Fire:
- 3 Wins, 0 Draws, 2 Losses
- Santos Laguna:
- 1 Win, 0 Draws, 4 Losses
MAIN STORYLINES:
- Chicago and Santos will face each other for the first time with points on the line after their 2012 friendly ended in a draw.
- Robert Lewandowski scored his first goals with Chicago in a brace on Aug. 1 and played 64 minutes in the Fire's 2-0 victory over Necaxa.
- Santos has not won an official match since April 26 and has conceded nine goals across its last four matches.
- Chicago began the tournament with a win, while Santos needs a result to keep its Knockout Stage hopes alive.
KEY FACTORS:
- Chicago Fire:
- Andrew Gutman and Jonathan Dean both scored in Chicago's 2-0 victory over Necaxa, with the Fire's fullbacks playing an important role in the team's attacking approach.
- Chicago enters the match with confidence after keeping a clean sheet in its Leagues Cup opener.
- Lewandowski adds another attacking option after making his tournament debut against Necaxa.
- Santos Laguna:
- Santos has been held scoreless in its last three matches, including its 2-0 defeat to New York City FC.
- Before that stretch, Lucas Di Yorio scored in each of Santos' previous two official matches.
- Santos will need to improve both its finishing and defensive organization after allowing nine goals in its last four matches.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Chicago Fire FC enters Sunday's match with the advantage of having already secured three points in the tournament. Gregg Berhalter will look to build on the momentum from his team's victory over Club Necaxa while managing the quick turnaround between matches.
The Fire's performance against Necaxa also highlighted the squad's depth. Fullbacks Jonathan Dean and Andrew Gutman found the back of the net, while Berhalter praised both the impact of his substitutes and the collective effort that helped Chicago control the match from start to finish.
For Santos Laguna, head coach Renato Paiva will be searching for a response after a disappointing defeat to New York City FC. The Portuguese manager acknowledged that his side must improve its ball retention, show greater patience in possession and, above all, be more clinical in front of goal after failing to score in its tournament opener.
With Chicago aiming to take another step toward the Knockout Stage and Santos fighting to keep its tournament hopes alive, Sunday's matchup presents two clubs entering Matchday 2 with very different objectives. A second consecutive victory would put the Fire in an excellent position to advance, while Santos knows anything less than a positive result could leave its quarterfinal aspirations hanging by a thread.
Fresh off a convincing win over Necaxa, Chicago Fire has earned 63% of the Polymarket prediction market. That's compared to 17% for Santos Laguna, which is looking to rebound after a defeat to New York City FC.
