Lewandowski moves to Chicago Fire on a free transfer and faces Müller in the MLS

Müller as first opponent

Berhalter has been the team's head coach and sporting director since October 2024, according to the available information. Chicago had had the designated first Designated Player of the new era on their radar for some time – the signing of the Polish striker is the next notable coup after Bastian Schweinsteiger's stint.

In Chicago, he follows in the footsteps of former Bayern teammates such as Xherdan Shaqiri and Schweinsteiger, who ended his career there around the 2019/20 turn of the year. Arne Friedrich also wound down his career in Illinois from 2012 to 2013.

Müller as first opponent

Bundesliga career

As Sky in Germany reports, Lewandowski is scheduled to play his first competitive match for Chicago on the night of July 16: at home against Thomas Müller and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Müller is also under contract in North America.

Together, the two forwards played 333 times for Bayern Munich. With Bayern, Lewandowski won the Champions League in 2020. While wearing the Bayern jersey, he was also named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2020 and 2021.

The 37-year-old top striker holds the Bundesliga record for the most goals in a single season: 41 goals in the 2020/21 campaign. That makes him the most productive striker of any single Bundesliga season ever.

Goretzka as a possible teammate

Bundesliga career

Lewandowski played twelve years in the German Bundesliga, winning ten league titles and finishing as top scorer seven times. He initially played for Borussia Dortmund from 2010 to 2014, then for Bayern Munich until 2022, before moving on to Barcelona.

Duel with Messi

In Chicago, Lewandowski is one of the "Designated Players" and is therefore allowed to earn significantly more money than his teammates. According to The Athletic, however, with the signing of Lewandowski there would no longer be room for another so-called Designated Player.

Goretzka as a possible teammate

Reactions and outlook

In Chicago, the striker, who holds the Bundesliga record for the most goals in a single season, could meet German national team player Leon Goretzka. His contract at FC Bayern Munich also expires on Tuesday; Goretzka is said to be on Fire's list.

Alongside Müller, Marco Reus, among others, also plays in North America for the LA Galaxy. That means several prominent Bundesliga figures will be playing in the MLS from the new season onward.

Duel with Messi

In July, Chicago is scheduled to face world star Lionel Messi in Miami – it remains unclear whether the Argentine will be involved after the World Cup. The game in Miami is scheduled for early July, just before the World Cup final on July 19.

The next match would then be on the night of July 22 – also just before the World Cup final on July 19 – at Inter Miami, where Messi is under contract. This could make the duel between two world stars of modern football one of the most closely watched MLS matches of the season.

Reactions and outlook

The signing underscores the ambitions of Chicago Fire FC, which in recent years has played only a minor sporting role in the MLS. With Lewandowski as its figurehead, the team under Berhalter is aiming to push back into the top echelon of the league.

Lewandowski had most recently been a regular at FC Barcelona and has belonged for years to the best strikers in Europe. His contract in Barcelona expired at the end of the month, meaning no transfer fee is required. The transfer was first reported on 06/28/2026 and updated on Monday following the official announcement.

For the Bundesliga, the move marks another chapter in the ongoing exodus of notable stars toward the North American professional league – a trend that had reached a preliminary high point with Messi's transfer to Miami.