The Chicago Fire secured their first MLS Cup Playoff berth since 2017 with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Inter Miami CF on Tuesday night. The Fire's win, fueled by goals from five different players, marked a Club-record ninth road victory of the season. In contrast, Lionel Messi was held scoreless for the second consecutive game.

Dje D'Avilla opened the scoring for Chicago in the 11th minute, followed by Jonathan Dean who doubled the lead in the 31st minute. Inter Miami responded in the 39th minute with a goal from Tomás Avilés, but Rominigue Kouamé extended Chicago's advantage before halftime. Luis Suárez scored twice for Inter Miami in the second half, once in the 57th minute and again in the 74th minute. However, Chicago responded with goals from Justin Reynolds and Brian Gutiérrez to seal the victory. Gutiérrez's goal was a stunning strike from distance.

With the win, the Chicago Fire improved to 15-11-6 with 51 points. They clinched a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference and have an outside chance of earning a bye to a Round One Best-of-3 Series. They are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami, already assured of a playoff spot, fell to 16-8-7.

Chicago Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter, in his first year with the team, has led the team to their highest point total since 2017. This will be only their third postseason appearance since 2009.

Inter Miami's coach Javier Mascherano took responsibility for the defeat, stating that the loss was due to his chosen strategy.

The MLS Cup Playoffs are set to begin on October 22 with the Wild Card matches. Seeds 1-7 in each conference will qualify for the Round One Best-of-3 Series, while seeds 8-9 will compete in the Wild Card matches. The MLS Cup is scheduled for December 6.