TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Extension
Chicago Fire FC have signed homegrown defender/midfielder Mauricio Pineda to a contract extension through the 2026 MLS season with an option for 2027, the club announced Wednesday.
Pineda, 25, initially joined Chicago ahead of the 2020 MLS season after playing college soccer at UNC Chapel Hill. He boasts five goals and four assists in 90 league games (78 starts) with the club. This year, he's played in 11 matches (four starts).
"Mauricio is part of a core group of young players from Chicago that have demonstrated time and again what it means to represent the club and the city with pride," Chicago sporting director Georg Heitz said in a release.
"It’s the second time we have offered Mauri a new contract because we want to make sure that players who come up in our system are acknowledged, valued and compensated in a way that matches their value and contribution to the club. Mauri’s impact on the field and in the locker room makes him a very important part of this organization and we’re very pleased to extend his future with the club for several more years."
Pineda became the first homegrown player in club history to start in every match of the season during his rookie campaign and was named 2020 Chicago Fire FC Defensive Player of the Year. Internationally, Pineda has represented the United States at the U-18, U-20 and U-23 levels.
Before joining Chicago's first team, Pineda helped the club win an academy national title in 2015.
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