Chicago City Wire

Chicago Fire FC has announced the signing of Christopher Cupps, a local defender, to a first-team contract as a Homegrown Player. The agreement extends through 2028, with options for 2029 and 2030. Specific terms were not disclosed due to club and MLS policy.

Gregg Berhalter, Chicago Fire FC's Director of Football and Head Coach, expressed enthusiasm about the signing: “We’re excited to sign another young, high-potential player who has developed within our system. Chris was born and raised in Chicago and has climbed through the ranks of Chicago Fire Youth Soccer and the Academy, demonstrating firsthand the commitment this Club has to the city and to the development of our players. We believe Chris has a bright future and look forward to supporting his continued growth.”

Cupps shared his excitement about joining the first team: “It’s a privilege to be able to represent my hometown and I’m incredibly happy to sign for the Club that I’ve grown up in. It’s a dream come true to start my professional career so close to my family who have supported me throughout my journey so far. I want to thank all my coaches and teammates who have helped me grow as a person and player. I’m excited to enter this new era with the Club and get to work towards bringing success to Chicago.”

At 16 years old, Cupps becomes the 27th Homegrown Player in club history. With his addition, there are now eight Homegrown Players under contract with Chicago Fire's First Team. Before joining their academy, Cupps played for Chicago Fire Youth Soccer from 2017-2019 at U-10 and U-11 levels.

Gary Lewis, Technical Director of Chicago Fire Academy, commented on Cupps' development: “Over the years, Chris has shown an incredible growth mindset and willingness to improve. Watching him develop with the extra effort he put in has been unbelievable. I’m delighted for Chris and his family, and grateful that they put trust in the work that we’ve done over the time he’s been here.”

Cupps played consistently for Chicago Fire II during last year's MLS NEXT Pro regular season, appearing in 15 matches (10 starts) with 975 minutes logged on field time. He also participated in preseason training camp games against Fortaleza from Brazil on January 19th (45 minutes) as well as Western Conference rival Sporting Kansas City on January 25th (90 minutes).

Internationally speaking—representing U.S Men’s Youth National Teams at different age groups such as U-15/U-16/U17—he recently helped clinch America's record-setting nineteenth berth into FIFA's Under-Seventeen World Cup by finishing atop its Concacaf Qualification group; playing all three hundred seventy minutes while defeating countries like US Virgin Islands/St Kitts Nevis/Cuba during Costa Rica hosted tournament matches.

Transaction details include:

Name: Christopher Cupps

Position: Defender

Height: Six feet one inch

Weight: One hundred seventy-five pounds

Date Of Birth: May twenty-six two thousand eight

Birthplace/Hometown : Both located within Illinois’ largest city -Chicago-

Citizenship Status : United States Of America

High School Attended : Walter Payton College Prep High School Last Affiliated Club Prior Signing With Major League Soccer Side Was Its Own Developmental Arm Known Simply As ‘The Academy’.