New England host Chicago Fire at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on October 17, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 23:30 local time. The Major League Soccer fixture follows a busy midweek round: New England won 3-2 away to Cincinnati on October 14, while Chicago Fire lost 3-1 at home to Philadelphia Union the following day. New England sit third in the supplied league ranking, one point ahead of fourth-placed Chicago Fire. Both teams have scored regularly, and their recent meetings offer another reason to watch for goals at each end.

New England's Recent Form and Key Stats

New England return home after edging Cincinnati 3-2, a result that gave them a third victory in their last five matches. They have lost the other two, with no draws in that stretch. Those five games have produced averages of 1.8 goals scored and 2.2 conceded per match for New England, making the Cincinnati scoreline consistent with their recent pattern of matches featuring plenty of goals.

Across the Major League Soccer season, New England have recorded 15 wins, four draws and 10 defeats. Their season averages stand at 1.7 goals scored and 1.4 conceded per game. The contrast between that overall defensive figure and the 2.2 goals conceded per match across their last five is notable ahead of a meeting with a Chicago Fire side that has found the net consistently.

The timing of goals is another feature of New England's recent results. Their last 14 MLS matches have each contained more than 1.5 total goals, and every one of those 14 games has had at least one first-half goal. There has also been a second-half goal in 36 of their last 40 league matches. New England have led at half-time in six of their last 10 MLS outings, although Chicago Fire's first-half scoring trend suggests this fixture may not be straightforward in its opening stages. For a different statistical angle, New England's last 15 league matches have each produced more than 7.5 corners in total.

Chicago Fire's Recent Form and Key Stats

Chicago Fire arrive looking to respond to their 3-1 home defeat against Philadelphia Union. Before that setback, they ended a run without an away victory by beating Charlotte. Their last five matches mirror New England's results: three wins and two defeats, with no draws. Chicago Fire have averaged 1.4 goals scored and 1.6 conceded over those five games, leaving little separation between the teams on recent results alone.

For the MLS season as a whole, Chicago Fire have 14 wins, six draws and eight losses, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 1.4 conceded per match. They trail New England by one point in the supplied standings. The 3-1 loss to Philadelphia Union interrupted their momentum, but their wider scoring record remains strong: Chicago Fire have scored at least once in 25 of their last 26 league matches.

Their fixtures have seldom been short of goals. More than 1.5 total goals have been scored in 21 of Chicago Fire's last 22 MLS games, while 19 of their last 20 league matches have featured a goal before half-time. Each of their last 13 MLS matches has also contained at least one second-half goal. Those figures do not guarantee an open encounter against New England, but they show how consistently Chicago Fire games have produced scoring action across both halves.

New England vs Chicago Fire Match Analysis

The longer head-to-head record is evenly balanced: across 76 meetings, New England and Chicago Fire have won 28 times each. The supplied summary of the most recent five encounters is just as tight from New England's perspective, with two wins, one draw and two defeats. Their latest meeting finished 1-2 on September 13, 2026. With just one point between them in the current standings, neither side has a clear advantage on the available results.

Goals at both ends are a stronger theme. According to the match history supplied, eight of the last nine meetings have featured at least one goal for each team. New England's recent five-match averages show that they have been scoring and conceding, while Chicago Fire have found the net in 25 of their last 26 MLS fixtures. At the same time, New England's 14-match run of league games with at least two total goals and Chicago Fire's equivalent run in 21 of 22 provide separate evidence that both sides regularly take part in games with multiple goals.

The midweek results add to the intrigue rather than settling it. New England come in with an away win, but conceded twice at Cincinnati; Chicago Fire must recover from conceding three against Philadelphia Union. Both teams have won three of their last five, and their season goals-conceded averages are identical at 1.4 per match. For this New England vs Chicago Fire preview, the most persuasive conclusion is therefore not a choice between two closely matched sides, but the possibility that each can contribute to the scoreline.

New England vs Chicago Fire prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 65% probability.