Former Barca striker Lewandowski signs for MLS side Chicago Fire

CHICAGO: Poland’s all-time leading goal scorer Robert Lewandowski has signed a contract through the 2027-28 campaign with the Chicago Fire, the Major League Soccer club announced on Monday.

The 37-year-old striker arrives from Barcelona after helping the Spanish giants capture the La Liga crown last month having starred from 2014-2022 with Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski has scored more than 700 goals for Poland and his club squads, leading German and Spanish leagues in scoring for eight years.

Lewandowski will play over parts of three campaigns for the Fire, with MLS planning to have a shortened 2027 season ahead of shifting to a football schedule more like other global leagues in 2027-28.

“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 head coach and director of football 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 first-hand why he is among the most revered sporting icons in the world.”

Since 2010, the Fire have either missed the playoffs or lost in the first round, as Chicago did last season.

Lewandowski joins a Chicago club that ranks third in the Eastern Conference at the MLS World Cup break with 26 points off eight wins and two draws from 14 matches.

Fire’s former players include Ballon d’Or winner Hristo Stoichkov, World Cup champion Bastian Schweinsteiger and fellow Uefa Champions League winner Xherdan Shaqiri.

Lewandowski has won the Uefa Champions League, Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup as well as 10 Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.

He captured four German Cup trophies and six Super Cups in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern.

In Spain with Barcelona, he added three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and three Supercopas.

While with Bayern, he captured the Best Fifa Men’s Player award in 2020 and 2021.

He was a star at Dortmund and scored 238 goals in 253 appearances at Bayern Munich, then joined Barcelona in 2022 and became one of only three players to score 100 goals for three different clubs.

He has scored a record 89 goals in 167 caps for Poland.