Xherdan Shaqiri and the Chicago Fire have reached an agreement to terminate his contract, ending the Swiss midfielder's disappointing stint at the MLS club, it was announced on Wednesday.
Shaqiri joined Chicago from Lyon in 2022 for what ESPN reported was a club-record fee at the time of $7.5 million. At the time, he was the highest-earning player in MLS with a salary of $8.15 million, before being surpassed by Inter Miami duo Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets, as well as Toronto FC's Lorenzo Insigne.
“Following discussions with Xherdan, we have mutually agreed that parting ways is best for both parties,” Chicago Fire FC sporting director Georg Heitz said in a club statement. “We thank him for his contributions to the club and wish him success in the next chapter of his career.”
Shaqiri, who previously played for European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool, struggled to live up to that price tag and reputation in Chicago.
In 75 games (63 starts) for the Fire in all competitions, he scored 16 goals and recorded 20 assists. The Fire failed to make the MLS playoffs in 2022 and 2023 and currently sit 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference with nine regular-season games remaining.
Shaqiri, who has 125 caps for Switzerland, will now be a free agent.
“I believe this is the right time for me to explore new opportunities in my career,” Shaqiri added in the team's statement. “I want to thank the Club and fans for their support during my time in Chicago. I wish the Fire every success in the future.”
Shaqiri's departure comes two days after Chicago said Heitz would step down as sporting director at the end of 2024 for personal reasons.
