CHICAGO — Robert Lewandowski in Chicago is officially a reality. The legendary Polish striker was formally presented on American soil for the first time on Tuesday, greeting the media at the Chicago Fire's downtown training center.
The signing made a long-awaited fantasy an actuality for Fire fans when it was announced about two weeks ago. Now, those same fans got to hear from their new #9 directly as he explained how this move came to be.
“After I decided that Europe and Barcelona were over for me, I didn’t want to stay in Europe and play for a different club,” Lewandowski said when asked about his motivations in joining MLS. “I couldn’t imagine myself at another European club besides Barcelona, so we knew that the next step would be outside Europe. Of course, it was a difficult decision for me and my family to move outside Europe, but we are very excited.”
One of the greatest strikers ever, Lewandowski turned down various big European and Saudi proposals to join the Fire, making him one of the biggest signings in the team's history. He will be one of the best-paid players in the league, and one of the biggest sporting stars in a city that has traditionally been full of them.
It's a move that not only matches the club's ambition, which has sought for several years to bring in a household name, but also fits into the growing line of world-class talent coming to North America in recent years. Since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, the sport's biggest names coming to MLS are no longer a novelty; they now happen multiple times every season.
Chicago, in particular, has always seemed like a destination that made sense for Lewandowski in MLS. The city's rich Polish history, as well as the club's willingness to spend, made the Fire a clear favorite in the pursuit, which heated up as his Barcelona contract neared its end.
“I think that for the last couple of months, I already knew that joining Chicago was a subject,” Lewandowski told MIR97 Media. “Of course, I needed a little bit more time because for me and my family, it is a big new step to move out of Europe. But we knew that we wanted to get this experience, and we had to be ready for everything that comes with the next move.”
Advice and Impressions
As mentioned, the Fire have made efforts to sign many blockbuster names in the last few years. Neymar Jr., Kevin de Bruyne, Mo Salah, Patrick Berg, and Bernardo Silva are all among the stars who have been in the Fire's orbit, and none of those materialized for various reasons – whether it be transfer fee, lack of Champions League football, or players not yet prepared to leave Europe altogether.
In Lewandowski's case, the biggest question seems to have been a lifestyle one. Between the forward and his wife, Anna Lewandowska, multiple visits were made to Chicago between last December and this June, with the most prominent being about a month ago.
“When I came here a couple of weeks ago, I was impressed – not only with the capacity of the club, but also with the city and the people,” Lewandowski said. “I know that a lot of Polish people live in Chicago, so for me and my family, talking to all these people is something interesting. The connection between Chicago and Poland is very important, and I appreciate that a lot.”
Additionally, Lewandowski leaned on advice from several high-profile teammates when contemplating a move to Chicago. Former Fire star Bastian Schweinsteiger was one, having spent three seasons with the club between 2017 and 2019; not long before, the German played alongside Lewandowski at FC Bayern München. 2014 World Cup winner Thomas Müller – who joined the Vancouver Whitecaps 12 months ago – also spent several seasons alongside Lewandowski, during which the duo formed a formidable partnership that led to eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League title.
“Of course, I spoke to Bastian and Thomas before making the move, about how they were doing and what the league looked like,” Lewandowski said. “When I started asking people not only about MLS, but also about the city and the club, everyone told me that it was amazing – for the football, for the training and also for family life.”
“I was also very curious about what it would be like in the winter, and they told me that even though it is a little colder, it is very nice and that the kids love that time of year. After Barcelona, the weather will not be easy, but I am from Poland and I have not forgotten what the weather is like there, so I will be fine!”
The Two Striker Question
From a footballing standpoint, the biggest question about the signing has been the fact that center forward was not remotely a position of need for the Fire. Not only has club record signing Hugo Cuypers been a success so far, but he leads MLS in goals this season, scoring 13 times prior to the World Cup break.
Since the Lewandowski rumors really started heating up in May, Head Coach Gregg Berhalter has insisted that he could imagine playing with two strikers, citing Cuypers and Lewandowski as a “great pairing” at the time. Now that the two-striker question is something he'll have to confront in reality, he doubled down.
“Part of what we’ve been doing these last months is working through what it would look like in a two-striker system,” Berhalter said today. “We did that on purpose to get a lot of video and a lot of footage. It’s not too common to play with two strikers nowadays, but we’ve been working hard on what that looks like around the penalty box.”
“We’ve been working on the combinations and how to affect the back line with two strikers, and we have some really good data points. We’ve been scoring goals lately and really picking apart the back line. We don’t see any reason why that can’t continue with Hugo and Robert on the field together.”
As for Cuypers, the Belgian has not spoken to the media since before the World Cup break. Following a goal against D.C. United – his ninth straight game with a goal at that point – he told MIR97 Media that he “did not care” about any external transfer rumors, including those linking the Fire with Lewandowski. Since the Pole's arrival, Cuypers has given up his #9 shirt, taking up the rarely-used #99 uniform in the process.
“They’re both high-quality players,” Berhalter said. “They’re both players who can take advantage of a small amount of space, finish under pressure and finish in small spaces. We’re really excited about this possibility, and we think it can be a great combination.”
“It's About Winning”
The question on many lips this week has been: how will Lewandowski be evaluated? In the recent past, players like Xherdan Shaqiri and the aforementioned Schweinsteiger have arrived in Chicago citing trophies as a primary motivation for their time in MLS.
“I see the potential to win titles with the club,” Lewandowski said. “I am very happy because it is a new step in my life, like every other step before. I hope that together with the staff and the players, we can do our job – not only play games, but also win titles.”
Certainly, for the first time in years, that is an expectation in Chicago more than a pipe dream. The Fire have not won a trophy in two decades, since the 2006 U.S. Open Cup triumph. They have not won an MLS Cup since their inaugural season in 1998. Within a year and a half under Berhalter, the discussion around the Fire has moved from a team that was hoping to break an eight-year playoff drought to one that is now expected to compete for MLS Cup instantly.
Now, sitting in 3rd place in the East behind just Nashville SC and Inter Miami, and adding one of the most complete center forwards to ever play the game, those expectations are anything but unrealistic.
“Robert has won his entire career, and there is going to be a certain measurement: did we win with him?” Berhalter said. “Everywhere he has been, in every year of his career, he has won a title. But knowing Robert the way I do, success is largely measured by how he scores goals.”
