Major League Soccer could be facing its most provocative move since Lionel Messi arrived in the United States.
Chicago Fire FC is quietly working on an operation that would change the conversation around the league: convincing Robert Lewandowski to cross the Atlantic and become the club’s new icon.
Since Messi landed at Inter Miami CF, the Herons have monopolized the spotlight and headlines. Last season left a resounding mark: 29 goals, reaffirming his status as the league’s top offensive reference. Today, no other player truly competes with his impact on and off the field.
Chicago Fire Eyes Robert Lewandowski in Bid to Rival Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami
In Illinois, they understand that to make a major impact in MLS, they need a global figure. Lewandowski, still a FC Barcelona player, is nearing the end of his contract and his future is not completely defined.
The Fire board has already explored this possibility, according to Telemundo Deportes, and sees in the Pole more than just a striker.
Head coach Gregg Berhalter believes the impact would be immediate. Lewandowski wouldn’t arrive for a retirement tour; his competitive profile and goal-scoring history in Europe make him a natural candidate to compete for the top of the scoring charts. And that, inevitably, means aiming at Messi.
At the 2021 Ballon d’Or, many specialists and fans considered that Lewandowski deserved the award after a historic season with Bayern Munich, although it was ultimately Messi who took the prize. That decision left an open debate that never fully died down.
Transferring that symbolic rivalry to American soccer would elevate the spectacle, for sure. It would no longer be a discussion at a European gala, but a week-to-week competition for goals and records in MLS.