Chicago City Wire

Chicago Fire FC winger Philip Zinckernagel has been named one of three finalists for the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year award. The other finalists are Anders Dreyer from San Diego FC and Son Heung-Min from LAFC.

Major League Soccer announced its year-end awards finalists, recognizing top performers from the regular season. Finalists were determined by votes from MLS club technical staff, first-team players, and selected media members. Each group contributed equally to the results.

Zinckernagel joined Chicago Fire FC in January 2025. In his first season, he became the first player in club history to record at least 15 goals and 15 assists. His total of 30 goal contributions set a new club record, surpassing Nemanja Nikolić’s previous mark of 28 set in 2017. Zinckernagel also broke Chicago’s single-season assist record, previously held by Jerzy Podbrozny (1998) and Piotr Nowak (2000).

Chicago Fire achieved a club-record nine road victories during the regular season, with Zinckernagel contributing to 18 goals away from home—ranking third league-wide in that category. He matched an MLS record by recording either a goal or assist in ten consecutive matches, equaling Josef Martínez’s feat from Atlanta United in 2018.

In postseason play, Zinckernagel provided two assists during the Audi 2025 MLS Playoffs Eastern Conference Wild Card game. This made him the first Chicago player with multiple assists in a playoff match since Calen Carr accomplished it against D.C. United on November 1, 2007.

Earlier this year, Zinckernagel was selected for the MLS All-Star roster by head coach Nico Estévez—the first time he has received this honor and the first Fire player named an All-Star since Kei Kamara’s selection as a Commissioner’s Pick in 2023.

Other award categories include Landon Donovan MLS MVP, Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year, Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award, Comeback Player of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Newcomer of the Year—which includes Zinckernagel—and Young Player of the Year.

Voting for both AT&T Goal of the Year and Save of the Year is taking place online at MLSsoccer.com until Friday, October 24. The winners will be announced on Monday, October 27. The Save of the Year nominees include a save by Chicago Fire FC goalkeeper Chris Brady.

"CHICAGO(Oct. 23, 2025) – Chicago Fire FC and Major League Soccer today announced that winger Philip Zinckernagel was named as one of the three finalists for the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year award, along with Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC) and Son Heung-Min (LAFC)."