Why Robert Lewandowski to MLS is so unlikely — and why the dream still refuses to die | OneFootball

For nearly a decade, MLS fans have kept one eye on Robert Lewandowski and the other on the league’s Designated Player rules, hoping the math — sporting and financial — might someday make sense. The Polish striker has openly admired the United States, and before the pandemic, he acknowledged that “MLS was firmly in my head.”

In 2025, the idea continues to generate buzz. The reality, however, is more complicated than ever.

A Superstar Who Still Belongs to Europe

The clearest barrier is the most obvious: Lewandowski remains a top-tier European striker. He just scored a hat-trick against Celta Vigo, passed Neymar on Barcelona’s all-time scoring list, and continues to receive full backing from Hansi Flick, who calls him “the most professional player” he has coached.

His contract runs through June 2026 with an option for 2027. Barcelona is not pressuring a transition, and internally, the club is only beginning long-term succession planning. Lewandowski has signaled he’s even open to a pay cut to extend his stay.

That keeps MLS in the same category as AC Milan, Atlético Madrid, Fenerbahçe, and Saudi Arabia — clubs that are watching the situation but not engaged in negotiations.

MLS Interest Has Always Been More Rumor Than Reality

Most of the American links circulating in recent windows trace back to past scenarios, not present-day pursuits.

None of these concepts became active talks. Even Lewandowski himself has tempered expectations, admitting last year it was “hard to imagine” leaving Barcelona for MLS at this stage.

Why the Idea Still Electrifies the League

And yet — this is where the dream holds power — the move would be spectacular. MLS knows it.

Even late in his career, Lewandowski remains one of the most recognizable and marketable athletes in world football. He’s multilingual, disciplined, and still scoring at a rate most European forwards would envy.

In MLS terms, he would fall into the lineage of the league’s most successful late-career signings: Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, David Villa. And there are clear competitive and commercial upsides:

MLS is built on moonshots. Messi was once considered one, too.

Robert Lewandowski is not coming to MLS in 2025 — and a move to 2026 remains unlikely. Barcelona still relies on him, Europe continues to compete for him, and Saudi Arabia remains the financial outlier.

But the allure isn’t disappearing. MLS has become a stage where global icons arrive to reframe the final act of their careers, and few fit that profile more naturally than Lewandowski.

If he ever chooses the United States — at 38, 39, or even 40 — the league won’t simply open the door.

It will roll out a runway of floodlights for a striker who’s still scoring like he’s 28.