The Chicago Fire have their man, reportedly securing star striker Robert Lewandowski as the latest superstar to sign in MLS.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Polish attacker will be officially unveiled by the club in the coming days, making the move to the U.S. top flight after an illustrious career in Europe.
The 37-year-old missed the 2026 World Cup with Poland after the country crashed out in the final rounds of UEFA World Cup qualifying, and has instead had most of the summer to rest and recover, last playing in a friendly on June 3 against Nigeria.
Led by an ambitious effort from owner Joe Mansueto, the Chicago Fire have been in heavy pursuit of a star player for an extended period of time. In 2025, the club held talks with Brazilian superstar Neymar, but were unable to secure his signature, and the team had also made advances towards Germany’s Thomas Müller, who went on to sign with Vancouver Whitecaps.
🚨💣 EXCLUSIVE: Robert Lewandowski to Chicago Fire, HERE WE GO! 🇺🇸
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 28, 2026
The Polish striker has agreed to join Chicago Fire after visiting the club and city two weeks ago.
Lewandowski will sign early next week, ready for new chapter in MLS.
Big move. 🔥🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/JEKnCYyqRm
Lewandowski recently made a visit to the Fire’s training facility, while he also courted offers from the Saudi Pro League and other teams in Europe. After scoring 19 goals and adding two assists last season with Barcelona, he is eligible to sign with any team as a free agent.
“We’re trying to recruit world-class players,” Fire director of football and manager Gregg Berhalter told the Up & Adams podcast in early June.
“We think [Lewandowski would] be a great signing not only for the Chicago Fire, but for the league, to have a player of that caliber. We see him right up there with [Lionel] Messi in terms of ability, and it’d be great for the city of Chicago.”
Lewandowski Adds More MLS Star Power
Lewandowski has long been a target of MLS clubs. Through his time with Bundesliga giants FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, as well as his tenure at Barcelona and early years with Polish sides Lech Poznan and Znicz Pruszkow, he has racked up 629 goals and 159 assists in 869 professional appearances.
Internationally, he has hit the back of the net 88 times for Poland in 167 international caps.
Now in MLS, he will join the likes of Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, Vancouver’s Müller, LAFC’s Hugo Lloris and Son Heung-min, San Jose Earthquakes’ Timo Werner and several other big stars. As a mid-summer addition, he’ll also enter the league at the same time as Antoine Griezmann, who is set to join Orlando City after the World Cup.
How Lewandowski Fits the Fire
While he may be in the twilight of his career, Lewandowski still changes the outlook of the Chicago Fire. In recent months, Berhalter has experimented with a two-striker system, which could fit both Lewandowski and current star forward, Hugo Cuypers.
On the wings, Jonathan Bamba and Philip Zinckernagel continue to be key pieces of the current setup, while South African star center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi has solidified the defensive spine, in front of USMNT third-string goalkeeper and Fire star Chris Brady.
"He has every opportunity to become a great star in America,” Berhalter told Mateusz Skwierawski. “This country is ready for him. He has had a brilliant career, and this could be the next challenge in his incredible career.”
In talks with Lewandowski, Chicago not only made a contract offer for the next two to three years but also explained the project's details. "We talked about his position and how he could help the team win the championship,” Berhalter added. “I think the most important thing is that we showed him what we can offer him in Chicago.”
The earliest Lewandowski could make his MLS debut would be on July 16 against Müller’s Whitecaps, where he could start to help Chicago build even more success from their current third-place position in the Eastern Conference.
