Monterrey vs Chicago Fire: time, stream and stakes
Monterrey Chicago Leagues Cup quarterfinals tip off Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Mexico City time (8:30 p.m. ET) from SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. Watch live on Apple TV as Rayados and the Fire battle for a Leagues Cup semifinal berth.
Key Takeaways
- Monterrey faces Chicago Fire in Leagues Cup 2026 quarterfinals on Aug. 25 at SeatGeek Stadium.
- Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. CDMX / 8:30 p.m. ET, with live coverage on Apple TV.
- Chicago Fire enters unbeaten in a recent stretch; Monterrey seeks a first semis trip since 2023.
- Projected XI and betting lines frame Rayados as slight underdogs against Lewandowski's Fire.
- A Monterrey win sets up a wait on América vs. Columbus Crew for the semifinal opponent.
The Concacaf Leagues Cup quarterfinal slate opens with CF Monterrey against Chicago Fire FC, then Club León versus Real Salt Lake later the same night. For U.S. and U.K. viewers tracking Liga MX–MLS crossover nights, this monterrey chicago fixture is the first knockout ticket on the board.
That matters because the winner reaches the final four. Monterrey has not played a Leagues Cup semifinal since 2023, while Chicago Fire arrives as a top MLS qualifier with momentum and home support in Bridgeview.
When and where is the Monterrey Chicago quarterfinal?
According to match previews from Mediotiempo and ESPN Deportes, the date is Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Kickoff is listed at 6:30 p.m. Mexico City time, with ESPN also listing 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time for U.S. audiences, plus 7:30 p.m. for Ecuador, Colombia and Peru, and 9:30 p.m. for Argentina and Uruguay.
The venue is SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago/Bridgeview, Illinois—the same Bridgeview site Concacaf cites as Toyota Park. Either label points fans to the Fire's suburban Chicago home for this knockout opener.
Where can you watch Monterrey vs. Chicago Fire live?
Mediotiempo reports the live broadcast is on Apple TV. Rayados' own promotion of the match likewise points supporters to Apple TV for the stream. Mediotiempo also offers minute-by-minute text updates for readers who want a play-by-play feed alongside the video stream.
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How do Monterrey and Chicago Fire arrive at this clash?
ESPN Deportes notes that Monterrey advanced from Group A in fourth place with six points—matching Cruz Azul, FC Juárez and Tigres on points but progressing on goal difference. Rayados' path included a loss to Orlando City, a 1-2 win at Inter Miami and a win over Nashville in the first phase, before a painful 2-0 Liga MX defeat at León.
Mediotiempo adds that Matías Almeyda's side was coming off that León setback as its second recent loss, with Alonso Aceves ruled out injured while Carlos Salcedo and Stefan Medina were cleared. Diego Rossi and the Pandilla are framed as needing a response to reach the next round.
Chicago Fire, under Gregg Berhalter, topped its group with nine points, finishing ahead of Austin FC and Columbus Crew by one point and Real Salt Lake by two, per ESPN. Concacaf details a perfect Phase One: 2-0 over Necaxa, 3-1 over Santos Laguna and 2-1 over Cruz Azul.
Mediotiempo says the Men in Red were still without a loss after a 1-1 draw with New York Red Bulls, sitting on a seven-match unbeaten run (six wins, one draw) and third in the MLS Eastern Conference. ESPN likewise notes two MLS wins and a draw across the prior three league outings.
What are the likely lineups and match odds?
ESPN Deportes lists a projected Monterrey XI of Andrada; Chávez, Arteaga, Guzmán, Salcedo; Ocampos, Torres, Rossi, Corona, Pineda; Cuypers. Chicago Fire's projected side is Brady; Dean, Waterman, Elliott, Gutman; Oregel, D'Avilla, Saletros, Zinckernagel; Lewandowski, Dithejane.
Concacaf highlights Hugo Cuypers as Monterrey's main Phase One scoring threat with three goals in three matches. Mediotiempo and ESPN both place Lewandowski in the Fire's attacking picture for this quarterfinal.
RushBet numbers shared by Mediotiempo had CF Monterrey at +175, the draw at +245 and Chicago Fire at +128 ahead of kickoff, with the usual caveat that prices move before and during the match. ESPN frames Rayados as trying to halt Chicago's unbeaten run while chasing a semifinal place and a longer Concacaf Champions Cup path.
If Monterrey advances, Mediotiempo says Rayados would await América vs. Columbus Crew to learn their semifinal opponent. Chicago's reward for winning is the same final-four stage, opening a rare Liga MX–MLS knockout night that starts the quarterfinal round in Bridgeview.
For English-speaking fans, the practical checklist is simple: note the Aug. 25 date, lock in the 6:30 p.m. CDMX / 8:30 p.m. ET window, confirm Apple TV access, and track how Almeyda's available defenders match up with Berhalter's in-form attack. That is the full preview picture available from the Concacaf, ESPN Deportes and Mediotiempo reports ahead of this Monterrey Chicago Leagues Cup quarterfinal.