The former Barcelona striker and Poland’s all-time leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, is poised to join Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire.
The Fire confirmed Monday that they have agreed to a two-year deal with Lewandowski, pending visa approval and the completion of his international transfer certificate.
He arrives at a Chicago side sitting third in the Eastern Conference with 26 points from 14 matches at the league’s break for the World Cup.
The club, which opened a new training facility last year, is also pressing ahead with plans for McDonald's Park, a football-specific stadium scheduled to open in 2028.
Lewandowski, who turns 38 on Aug. 21, could make his debut July 16 against Vancouver. He helped Barcelona win three La Liga titles in four seasons, including this year, and the Copa del Rey, Spain’s domestic cup competition. He scored 119 goals in 192 appearances for the club.
Lewandowski bid an emotional farewell at Camp Nou on May 17, when he was lifted into the air by teammates after a 3-1 victory over Real Betis. Players also lined up to applaud him as he walked toward the locker room.
He joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in a $52 million transfer in 2022. He scored 312 goals in 384 Bundesliga matches for Bayern and earlier club Borussia Dortmund, winning 10 Bundesliga titles.
Lewandowski has also played 167 international matches for Poland, beginning with a goal on his debut against San Marino in 2008 at age 20. His 89 goals are nearly twice as many as any other Polish player. He has qualified for the World Cup twice, reaching the round of 16 in 2022.
He has hinted at international retirement after Poland failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup. Poland’s next scheduled matches are in the Nations League in September.
Lewandowski will be a designated player, one of three roster spots MLS teams can use to exceed the salary cap. His contract runs through the 2027-28 season, covering the remainder of 2026 and the 2027 mini-season next spring before the league shifts to a summer-to-spring calendar to align with the European schedule.
"We set out to build a world-class club that inspires greatness, unites Chicago and wins championships. Robert embodies those values and represents the standards this city deserves: a champion and a competitor," Fire coach Gregg Berhalter said. "His arrival reinforces our ambition to compete for trophies and raises the standards for the club to heights worthy of this city. We cannot wait to get to work with him and have Chicago see firsthand why he is among the most revered sporting icons in the world."