Lewandowski seals deal with Chicago Fire and prepares to debut in MLS
Robert Lewandowski is on his way to MLS. The Polish striker has agreed the final details of a contract with Chicago Fire FC and is expected to be announced soon as the club’s signing for the second half of the season. The transfer, confirmed by a source close to the negotiations, represents one of the most impactful arrivals in the recent history of the American league.
A free agent after leaving Barcelona
Lewandowski arrives at the Fire as a free agent, after his contract with Barcelona ended at the close of the 2025-26 season. With the Catalan club, the striker won seven titles: three Spanish leagues, one Copa del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups. Before that, he dominated the Bundesliga for years – ten titles across his spells at Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich – and lifted the UEFA Champions League in 2020, when Bayern dispatched Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final.
At 37, the Pole has one of the most prolific careers in European football over the last two decades. Now he is preparing for a new challenge in North American football, under coach Gregg Berhalter in the Eastern Conference.
Berhalter compares the striker to Messi
“We are trying to sign world-class players,” the coach said recently. “We believe he would be an incredible signing, not just for Chicago Fire, but for the entire league. We put Lewandowski on the same level as Messi in terms of quality. It would be fantastic for the city of Chicago.”
Berhalter has built a more competitive Chicago Fire in recent years. In 2025, he led the team to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons – the club eliminated Orlando City SC 3-1 before being stopped by Philadelphia Union. The team currently sits third in the Eastern Conference, with 26 points in 14 games, just behind Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF.
A possible clash with Messi already has a date
MLS is on a break because of the World Cup in North America, but the schedule resumes in early July. And one duel already stands out: on July 22, Inter Miami host Chicago Fire at Nu Stadium in Miami. If all goes as planned, Lewandowski and Lionel Messi could face each other on the pitch for the first time in their careers – two of the greatest scorers in the history of world football, now rivals on American soil.
For MLS, the Pole’s arrival reinforces the project of raising the league’s technical level and attracting global attention. The Fire, for their part, take a clear step toward a more ambitious identity – and Chicago’s fans already have plenty of reasons to look forward to the opening whistle in July.
