​The Chicago Fire have a history of attracting legendary players, from Hristo Stoichkov, the Bulgarian Ballon d’Or winner, to Bastian Schweinsteiger, the World Cup champion midfielder, Xherdan Shaqiri, the Swiss Champions League victor, and Cuauhtémoc Blanco, the Mexican icon who conquered North American soccer. Now, this franchise might top them all. The Fire secured Robert Lewandowski this summer, bringing in a Polish scorer who has collected the UEFA Champions League title, ten Bundesliga championships, three La Liga trophies, and a long string of individual awards and other trophies. It’s a move that has delighted Gregg Berhalter, the Fire’s director of football and head coach, as owner Joe Mansueto continues to invest in the club in the pursuit of its first MLS Cup since 1998 and greater visibility in an increasingly competitive Chicago sports market.
“I think it’s an incredible step, not only for the Chicago Fire but for Major League Soccer,” Berhalter told USA TODAY Sports. “We’re talking about probably the best striker of his generation coming to play in MLS. It shows that MLS is truly a league of choice for top players. For our club, we aim to be a world-class organization, and part of that is attracting world-class talent. We feel like we achieved that with Robert Lewandowski.”
That phrasing perhaps underplays who Lewandowski is and what he can bring to the Fire. Even if he’s past his peak from the days when he was crowned The Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2020 and 2021 with Bayern Munich, the 37-year-old forward still scored 14 goals in 31 appearances for FC Barcelona last season, helping the Catalan club win La Liga. That form kept multiple clubs around the world pursuing his signature this summer. The Fire pitched him not only on their ambitious project—highlighted by a gleaming new $100 million training facility that opened in 2025 and a new stadium planned for 2028—but also on the allure of the city itself.
Chicago, home to a substantial Polish community outside Poland, offers more than just a national connection. Beyond the cultural ties, the club emphasizes day-to-day life in a major American city—the third-largest in the country—where the training ground and stadium remain centrally located. Berhalter admitted the recruitment process for Lewandowski was lengthy, but he drew on lessons learned while courting dual nationals like Folarin Balogun and Sergino Dest during his time coaching the U.S. men’s national team.
“We’re familiar with the process,” he said. “You want to show them the surrounding environments: What’s the team environment going to be like? What’s the training environment? What’s the game environment? You have to give them a clear picture. Then, the final piece, which is extremely important in club soccer, is what the family life piece looks like. That’s where we’re showcasing the city of Chicago and all it has to offer.”