Fire upgrade Philip Zinckernagel to Designated Player status

The Chicago Fire made Philip Zinckernagel a Designated Player on Wednesday and signed the All-Star winger to a new contract through the 2027-28 MLS season. The deal was announced on the final day of MLS's summer transfer window.

Zinckernagel, who came to Chicago from Belgian power Club Brugge before the start of the 2025 season, has seven goals and seven assists in 26 matches across all competitions in 2026.

"Philip has earned this recognition through his performance and the consistency he displays week after week," Fire coach and director of football Gregg Berhalter said. "He's been one of the league's most productive attacking players, and his impact on our club has been significant. We're pleased to see him rewarded for the contributions he's made, and we look forward to seeing him continue that form."

The 31-year-old has been named an MLS All-Star in each of his two seasons with the club. This year, he became the first Fire player to score in the All-Star Game since Cuauhtemoc Blanco in 2008.

Last year, the Dane became the first player in Fire history to record double digits in goals and assists in a season with 15 and 15, respectively.

"I'm incredibly grateful to this Club for the opportunity to continue demonstrating my commitment to the team, the city and the fans," he said. "Hopefully my play on the field reflects my desire to win championships and achieve great things with the Fire."

Chicago ranks third in the Eastern Conference with 37 points, which marks the organization's best showing since 2017.

Zinckernagel put together a decorated career in Europe before coming to America, with stints in Denmark, Norway, England (Watford and Nottingham Forest in the Championship), Greece and Belgium. With Club Brugge in 2023-24, he had seven goals and five assists as the club won the Belgian league title and advanced to the semifinals of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

--Field Level Media