Striker joins MLS having attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and across Europe
Chicago Fire have completed the signing of Robert Lewandowski on a two-year contract after the striker left Barcelona as a free agent.
The 37-year-old and his representatives had been involved in months of negotiations with the club, but an agreement was secured following his visit to Chicago last week.
Lewandowski had attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and across Europe but opted to continue his career in the US.
Coach Gregg Berhalter said the transfer had been a long-term priority for the club and revealed discussions first began early last year.
“It first came into the picture probably in January of 2025,” Berhalter said. “And then here we are, June of 2026, and we’re finally making the signing.
“We’ve been persistent. We’ve just kept contact with him, kept contact with his representative. This was a move that everyone truly believes is a great opportunity for Robert and for the city of Chicago.”
The arrival of one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers strengthens a side that sit third in the Eastern Conference after 14 matches and are seeking to establish themselves among the leading contenders in Major League Soccer. Chicago Fire are pushing for a first MLS Cup title since 1998.
Berhalter believes Lewandowski can help them achieve that.
“I think that it’s very rare that a person wins every single place he goes,” he said. “And that’s Robert’s track record. Not only does the team that he plays for win, but he performs at a very high level. There’s no player in the top five leagues that has scored more goals than Robert in the last 15 years.
“I would call him the best forward of this generation. I don’t think there’s been a better forward in the last decade and a half than Robert Lewandowski.
“And he’s certainly worth waiting for. Yeah, we obviously want to be careful with his loading but he wants to play, we want to play him. So he’s going to use the next couple of weeks to gain fitness and get into rhythm and then we want to play him. Hopefully he makes his debut on 16 July.”
