Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto has been one of MLS’s most active and aggressive investors, and as we look to a post-World Cup bounce for the league, the Fire and city of Chicago are in a good position.
The story is about Mansueto, founder of investment research firm Morningstar, putting an incredible amount of his own wealth and resources into the city he loves and with designs on making his franchise a world-class soccer destination. The 69-year-old has a quiet, under-the-radar style, but don’t mistake that for a lack of passion. Mansueto loves business and soccer. I thought of that as the team last month signed the popular striker Robert Lewandowski, who previously played for Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and is Poland’s all-time leading scorer. Yes, he’s 37 and won’t play for long, but he is a charismatic addition who has been among the top-three scorers in European football over the past 15 years.
MLS owners have pretty distinct approaches to signing global talent. Some want to spend, while others are content to keep expenses in line. The Fire obviously believe Lewandowski can move the needle even for a couple of years as they fight for attention in a very competitive market. But this only adds to Mansueto’s significant investments over the past few years to reposition the Fire — long a nomadic MLS doormat — to be mentioned among the league’s top teams.
First, he retooled his executive team on the sporting and business sides, bringing on Gregg Berhalter (in 2024) and Dave Baldwin (2022), and gave them the resources to build a marquee operation. In 2025, the team opened a privately financed, $100 million training facility on Chicago’s Near West Side that league insiders tell me is among the best in MLS and was a critical factor in landing Lewandowski. Mansueto then spent $6 million on the Dear Chicago Experience Center, which shows off all the elements of the team’s vision for the privately financed, $750 million McDonald’s Park.
During a recent visit to Chicago, I toured the Experience Center, located on Michigan Avenue in the historic Wrigley Building. The spacious venue, designed by Elevate, samples all aspects of the team’s 22,000-seat facility, which is scheduled to open in 2028. McDonald’s Park will be the centerpiece of a broader redevelopment of a 60-acre riverfront parcel called The 78, and I can’t stress enough how impactful a downtown Chicago soccer-specific stadium will be for the Fire and for MLS overall. Remember, this club has roamed around in the market, so when you see the plans for McDonald’s Park and how it will command that part of the city, you fully understand its impact. In announcing his plans for the facility, the Indiana native wrote in an open letter, “I love this city. … I moved here for college 50 years ago and I never left.” He said that privately financing McDonald’s Park is about “investing in Chicago, not just on match days, but every day as a committed community partner.”
The Lewandowski signing is another step, and don’t overlook his appeal to the city’s extensive Polish community, as Chicago metro area has the largest Polish population of any U.S. city, with an estimated 800,000 residents of Polish ancestry. This is all something to build on, and the fans have responded. Sources said the team could hit close to 40,000 fans for Lewandowski’s first match on Aug. 1, which is a healthy uptick from the current 19,688 it’s averaged so far this season. So, it’s a very encouraging amalgam of events and ideal timing, as the team is in the market selling suites and sponsorships for McDonald’s Park.
Overall, you see a consistent theme — Mansueto’s love of Chicago and soccer, as he finances close to a billion dollars in big bets on the future of the sport in the market. Those close to Mansueto, at the league and team levels, describe his Midwest manner: nice, humble and unassuming, starting meetings by asking, “How should I be thinking about …?” He is confident and ambitious, but never with sharp elbows. MLS has an owner who is very entrepreneurial and loves the game. He is putting money, time and resources into his commitment to build a world-class club. That’s a very good story for the league.
Abraham Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
