Chicago Fire FC were eliminated from Leagues Cup 2026 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night, falling 2-1 to CF Monterrey at SeatGeek Stadium.

Orbelín Pineda's stunning 83rd-minute strike tilted the balance in favor of the LIGA MX outfit, who will face either the Columbus Crew or Club América next week in the semifinals. 

Monterrey took the lead at the stroke of halftime via Víctor Guzmán's close-range header. Rayados could've opened the score earlier after Chicago goalkeeper Chris Brady fouled ex-Fire striker Hugo Cuypers inside the box, but Lucas Ocampos smashed his penalty kick off the post. 

Philip Zinckernagel's 59th-minute leveller provided a spark for Chicago, only for Pineda to bury their hopes and secure passage for Monterrey with a world-class volley.

Goals

• 45+4' - MTY - Víctor Guzmán | WATCH
• 59' - CHI - Philip Zinckernagel | WATCH
• 83' - MTY - Orbelín Pineda | WATCH

Lineups

Next Up

• MTY: Sunday, Aug. 30 vs. Atlético de San Luis - 10:10 pm ET | LIGA MX Apertura
• CHI: Saturday, Aug. 29 at Seattle Sounders FC - 4:30 pm ET (Apple TV) | MLS regular season