Chicago Fire confirmed on Monday that they've brought Polish striker Robert Lewandowski into the fold, signing him through the 2027-28 season in a move that adds serious star power to the club's roster. The deal will see him fill a designated player slot, though it still needs to clear a couple of formalities, namely visa approval and an international transfer certificate.
2 hours Ago By Nikodem Baran
From Barcelona to Bundesliga Glory
At 37, Lewandowski arrived as a free agent after wrapping up four seasons with FC Barcelona, where he proved he still had plenty left in the tank. Over that stretch, he found the net 83 times and set up another 19 goals across 134 league appearances, 114 of which came as a starter, helping the club lift three La Liga titles along the way.
Before his time in Spain, Lewandowski spent twelve years tearing up Germany's Bundesliga, first with Dortmund from 2010 to 2014, then with Bayern Munich from 2014 through 2022. Those years brought him ten league championships and a Champions League crown in 2020. His goal tally during his eight seasons at Bayern, 344 across all competitions, ranks second in the club's history, trailing only the legendary Gerd Muller.
A Career Built on Records and Near-Misses
Back in 2020, Lewandowski looked like the clear favorite to claim the Ballon d'Or, but the award simply wasn't handed out that year because of the pandemic. He came close again the following year, finishing runner-up in the 2021 voting, though he did walk away with the Best FIFA Men's Player Award in both 2020 and 2021.
On the international stage, nobody in Poland's history comes close to his numbers. He holds the national records for both appearances (167) and goals (89), and he suited up in each of the last four European Championships along with two consecutive World Cups, though Poland came up short of qualifying for the 2026 tournament.
Counting both club and country since he turned professional in 2008, Lewandowski has scored 697 goals in total, the seventh-highest figure in the sport's history. Among players still active today, only Cristiano Ronaldo (975) and Lionel Messi (917) have scored more.
As for his new team, Chicago Fire currently sit third in the MLS Eastern Conference with a record of 8-4-2 and 26 points heading into the World Cup break, building on last season's breakthrough that finally snapped a seven-year playoff drought.
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