Robert Lewandowski’s transfer to Chicago Fire was made official on Monday, bringing the Poland captain to Major League Soccer on a two-year deal that runs through the 2027 season. The club confirmed the signing with a social-media post showing the striker in a Fire shirt, while Lewandowski himself released a brief video greeting his new city. He arrives as a free agent after his Barcelona contract expired at the end of June, and will occupy a Designated Player slot, allowing him to earn above the league’s standard salary cap.

Across four seasons in Spain, Lewandowski won three La Liga titles and the 2025 Copa del Rey, claiming the Pichichi trophy as the division’s top scorer in his debut campaign. His 120 goals in 193 appearances placed him among the most prolific forwards in the club’s modern history. European reports note that AC Milan and clubs from the Saudi Pro League had registered interest, but the player was swayed by a visit to Chicago’s facilities and the sporting project presented by the Fire’s leadership.

For a franchise that has not won a playoff match since 2009, the signing represents a statement of intent. Chicago Fire sit third in the Eastern Conference and are owned by Joe Mansueto, the billionaire who also controls Swiss side FC Lugano. Head coach Gregg Berhalter had publicly described Lewandowski as a player of Lionel Messi’s calibre, and the club expects the striker’s arrival to resonate powerfully in a metropolitan area that is home to one of the largest Polish diaspora communities outside Poland.

Viewed from North America, the deal reinforces the league’s ability to attract elite talent in the latter stages of their careers, following the path of Messi and others. Lewandowski’s debut could come as early as 16 July against Vancouver Whitecaps, where he would face former Bayern Munich teammate Thomas Müller, with a meeting against Messi’s Inter Miami a week later. The announcement landed during the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, a tournament the striker will watch from afar after Poland failed to qualify.