CHICAGO, Illinois, August 6, 2026 — The 20,000-seat soccer stadium rising along the Chicago River at the 78 officially has a name. Thanks to a landmark deal with Chicago’s own fast-food giant, Chicago Fire FC announced that its privately funded, $750 million venue will be called McDonald’s Park. It marks the fast-food brand’s first naming-rights agreement for a major U.S. professional sports stadium.
The deal runs through though neither side has disclosed financial terms. Joe Mansueto, the Chicago native who bought the Fire in 2019, pitched the partnership as an anchor for the Near South Side’s newest neighborhood.
“McDonald’s is the ideal partner—an iconic global brand with Chicago roots and shared values of supporting our community,” Mansueto noted during the announcement, adding that the venue will be the home pitch Chicago fans deserve.
For McDonald’s, the deal extends far beyond logo placement on the facade. The company plans to build and operate a flagship restaurant inside the venue, scheduled to open in spring 2028, while helping curate match day and concert experiences year-round.
“We are building a place that serves up joy, builds community, drives impact, and is built to last for generations,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said in a statement.
The stadium occupies a key stretch of the 78, a 62-acre site long stalled by development hurdles along Roosevelt Road and the South Branch of the Chicago River. Related Midwest and the Fire secured unanimous City Council zoning approvals in September 2025, clearing the way for a March 2026 groundbreaking.
The venue was designed by Gensler, and features a unique steel canopy that is expected to deflect fan noise across the pitch. That design contains around 2,000 safe-standing spots for fans, which takes overall ability to in excess of 22,000 for most elevated need matches. After spending years at Bridgeview, The Fire now play at Soldier Field.
Outside of sports, the partnership extends the Fire’s P.L.A.Y.S. youth soccer initiative to more than 280 under-resourced Chicago Public Schools serving roughly 125,000 students. The pact also creates a stadium-wide fund push and a localized seating section for households aided by Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Some aspects of the 78 projects drew criticism among some Chinatown, Bronzeville and Pilsen residents over how quickly City Hall signed off on approvals, while local leadership defended the process. Dowell, who is the ward’s alderman, cited nine public community meetings held before the vote as proof that neighborhood voices shaped the outcome.
This naming deal is just the most recent chapter in Mansueto’s deep personal involvement in his hometown. And for McDonald’s, it’s an opportunity to change the Chicago skyline anew over the next 14 years — and to secure a front-row seat as the South Loop becomes one of Chicago’s new centers of housing, retail and entertainment.
