The 37-year-old striker is expected to visit Chicago this weekend, fueling speculation that he could continue his career in the United States after leaving Barcelona at the end of June, The Athletic sports news site reported, citing sources within the club.
Chicago Fire coach Gregg Berhalter appeared to hint at a high-profile signing during a television appearance on Thursday.
Robert Lewandowski is visiting Chicago this weekend as talks with MLS side Chicago Fire continue.
Lewandowski, 37, is a free agent after leaving Barcelona.
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“We’re trying to recruit world-class players,” he said, suggesting that Lewandowski would be “a great signing not only for the Chicago Fire, but for the league, to have a player of that caliber.”
“We see him right up there with Messi in terms of ability, and it’d be great for the city of Chicago,” he added, as cited by The Athletic, which is the sports division of The New York Times.
Lewandowski announced on May 16 that he would leave Barcelona after three seasons with the Spanish club.
The Pole joined Barcelona in 2022 and helped the club win three La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey and three Spanish Super Cups. He scored 120 goals in 193 appearances for Barcelona, placing him among the club’s leading scorers of all time.
In the 2025/2026 season, he made 46 appearances and scored 19 goals.
Lewandowski has not publicly revealed where he plans to play next.
Media speculation has linked him with clubs in Saudi Arabia and the United States, while Italian teams have also reportedly shown interest.
If he joins Chicago Fire, Lewandowski would become the latest global star to move to MLS, following players such as Messi, who joined Inter Miami in 2023.
Chicago Fire have a long history of Polish connections. The club won the MLS Cup in its inaugural 1998 season with key contributions from Polish players Piotr Nowak, Jerzy Podbrożny and Roman Kosecki.
The club currently sits third in the MLS Eastern Conference standings as the 2026 regular season approaches its midpoint.
The Fire are hoping to generate interest and buzz in the market with big names in a winning team as they prepare to open a new stadium in 2028 in Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood, The Athletic reported.
Lewandowski has scored 89 goals in 167 international matches for Poland but was unable to lead his country to the World Cup in North America. Poland suffered a playoff final defeat against Sweden in March and failed to qualify.
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Source: nytimes.com, TVN24, IAR, PAP