- Piotr Nowak captained Chicago for its first five seasons, leading it to three domestic titles.
- Ante Razov is the Fire’s all-time leading scorer with 91 goals.
- Chris Armas is one of three players who helped Chicago win all six of its trophies.
Chicago Fire FC was the first expansion franchise in MLS history to win the league in its inaugural season, and it did one better in 1998 by also claiming the U.S. Open Cup to complete a historic domestic double.
The Fire won three additional Open Cups in the 2000s and added an MLS Supporters’ Shield, but it’s now going on almost two decades without a trophy. The club has reached the postseason just once in the last 10 seasons and has perennially sat near the bottom of the soccer odds to win the MLS Cup.
Given that, I’ve had to look way back in time to rank the five best Chicago Fire players in the club’s MLS history.
5 Best Chicago Fire MLS Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Chicago Fire Years |
| 1 | Piotr Nowak | Midfielder | 1998-2002 |
| 2 | Ante Razov | Forward | 1998-2004 |
| 3 | Chris Armas | Midfielder | 1998-2007 |
| 4 | Carlos Bocanegra | Defender | 2000-2003 |
| 5 | Nemanja Nikolic | Forward | 2017-2019 |
Chicago Fire All-Time Greatest Players
1. Piotr Nowak
Nowak, Chicago’s captain for its first five seasons, takes the top spot on my list after playing an instrumental role in the Fire’s early success.
The Polish midfielder scored 29 goals and provided a franchise-record 60 assists in nearly 150 appearances across all competitions, helping the team to three domestic trophies in five seasons. Nowak was the first player inducted into the club’s Ring of Fire Hall of Fame the year after hanging up his boots in 2002.
He was included in the MLS Best XI three times, was an All-Star twice, and earned 1998 MLS Cup MVP honours after providing both assists in the 2-0 triumph over D.C. United.
2. Ante Razov
If online sports betting were a thing around the turn of the century, I would’ve been eager to target Ante Razov’s anytime goal props.
The American forward, who joined the Fire from the LA Galaxy ahead of Chicago’s inaugural season, was the third player in league history to reach the 100-goal mark and remains one of its all-time great finishers.
In nearly 200 appearances across all competitions, Razov scored 91 goals and dished out 51 assists for the Fire, helping the club to five of its six domestic triumphs. He had five seasons with double-digit goals and remains its all-time leading scorer.
3. Chris Armas
Armas played an integral role in the first decade of the club’s history and is one of its greatest servants. He made 272 appearances for the Fire across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and providing 53 assists.
The American midfielder was one of three players to play a role in all six of Chicago’s domestic titles, captaining the club for three of them after taking the armband following Nowak’s retirement.
Armas was included in the MLS Best XI five times, was an All-Star on four occasions, and made 66 appearances for the USMNT.
4. Carlos Bocanegra
I would target the Fire with more of my MLS betting picks if they had a centre back like Bocanegra leading the back line.
Chicago drafted the former USMNT defender with the fourth overall pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft and got immediate returns, as Bocanegra helped the club lift the Open Cup in a stellar debut campaign that also saw him pick up MLS Rookie of the Year honours.
The New York native ascended quickly into one of the league’s top centre backs and was the first player ever to be recognized with the MLS Defender of the Year honor in back-to-back seasons (2002 and 2003).
Bocanegra only made 87 appearances in MLS play, but made a massive impact on a successful squad before moving to English Premier League side Fulham FC.
5. Nemanja Nikolic
Nikolic is one of the few players who have ignited the Fire over the last decade or more.
The Serbian forward joined from Polish side Legia Warsaw in 2017 and turned in a stellar debut campaign, netting 24 goals to capture the MLS Golden Boot and take Chicago to its most recent postseason appearance. He also earned MLS Best XI honours and was third in MLS MVP voting that season.
Nikolic scored 51 goals and provided six assists in 96 MLS appearances across three seasons, giving fans hope during a stretch where that has been hard to find.
