Inter Miami vs. Chicago Fire - prediction, team news, lineups

Second successful the Eastern Conference hosts 3rd astatine Nu Stadium connected Wednesday arsenic Inter Miami invited the Chicago Fire successful gameweek 16.

The Herons had claimed 4 consecutive MLS wins earlier the World Cup-enforced hiatus, portion the Fire were connected a three-match winning run, mounting things up for what is the biggest lucifer of the midweek round.

Match preview

Despite winning 4 MLS matches successful a row, Guillermo Hoyos indispensable person been pleased by the hiatus earlier the 2026 World Cup.

Having fallen to a 4-3 decision against Orlando City, the Miami giants' series of wins was acold from convincing, with the Herons keeping conscionable 1 cleanable sheet.

Hoyos saw his broadside assertion respective wildly breathtaking 4-2, 5-3 and 6-4 wins implicit Toronto FC, FC Cincinnati and the Philadelphia Union respectively, the second of which saw 8 goals scored successful 45 minutes anterior to Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul netting precocious on.

That triumph marked Miami's 2nd location triumph of the MLS season, pursuing a four-match series without maximum points successful beforehand of their supporters to commencement the campaign.

As such, consecutive triumphs astatine Nu Stadium were conscionable what the doc ordered earlier the break, and the Herons present people 3 victories connected the trot to widen their five-point pb implicit the Fire successful the Eastern Conference.

That result volition hinge connected the Men successful Red falling to a decision successful this fixture since 2024.

While the Fire fell to a 4-1 decision successful that September nonaccomplishment from 2 years ago, they person since avoided losing successful the adjacent 2 matchups, including a stunning 5-3 triumph erstwhile some teams past faced disconnected successful October 2025.

Now aiming to unafraid back-to-back wins successful this fixture for the archetypal clip since securing 3 from September 2022 to October 2023, Gregg Berhalter's men volition anticipation to exploit the Herons' erstwhile antiaircraft frailties.

Indeed, the Fire person crushed to beryllium encouraged aft their distant signifier anterior to the break, having avoided a reverse connected their travels successful 5 consecutive matches.

They went into the hiatus connected the backmost of consecutive wins implicit DC United and CF Montreal, scoring 5 successful that play and conceding conscionable one.

Now looking to amended connected notching 11 points from 15 distant from home, Berhalter volition anticipation that his players prime up wherever they near disconnected connected their instrumentality to MLS action.

While they cannot leapfrog the Herons with a win, the Fire could suffer their spot successful 3rd if they driblet points and the New England Revolution triumph astatine location to Toronto FC.

Inter Miami Major League Soccer form:

Chicago Fire Major League Soccer form:

Chicago Fire signifier (all competitions):

Team News

While Lionel Messi and De Paul volition beryllium missing aft World Cup exertions with Argentina, Tadeo Allende's genu contented is apt to support him out.

Without Messi, who has scored 12 and assisted seven, the Herons volition trust connected German Berterame to present the goods for the hosts, aiming to adhd to his 10 extremity involvements.

The guardant is apt to commencement up apical successful the guardant enactment alongside seasoned Suarez, who seeks to adhd to his six MLS strikes, 3 of which were successful that 6-4 triumph implicit the Union.

Andre Franco remains retired owed to a semipermanent genu injury, portion Leonardo Barroso's information volition beryllium assessed earlier the midweek clash.

Hugo Cuypers has scored 48% of the Fire's 27 league goals, highlighting the distant side's reliance connected the 29-year-old, whose six distant strikes are much than each but Messi and Prince Owusu successful MLS.

Given the Belgian's goalscoring return, it volition beryllium fascinating to spot if Berhalter volition commencement caller signing Robert Lewandowski, who joined astatine the commencement of the period aft leaving Barcelona.

Inter Miami imaginable starting lineup:

St. Clair; Fray, Lujan, Micael, Reguilon; Montero, Bright, Segovia; Silvetti, Berterame, Suarez

Chicago Fire imaginable starting lineup:

Brady; Dean, Elliott, Mbokazi, Gutman; Pineda, Saletros, Haile-Selassie; Zinckernagel, Cuypers, Bamba

We say: Inter Miami 3-3 Chicago Fire

Despite the hiatus, Wednesday's brushwood has the consciousness of a high-scoring contest, with some sides looking to instrumentality to their pre-World Cup form.

As such, the spoils could beryllium shared successful Miami successful a crippled that should enactment unfastened close to the end.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.