Lewandowski debuts in MLS loss as Inter Miami beats Fire 3-2

Robert Lewandowski made his Major League Soccer debut for Chicago Fire on Wednesday, July 23, in an away match against Inter Miami that ended in a 3-2 defeat. The 37-year-old Polish striker, who joined the Fire from Barcelona on June 29, played 63 minutes but failed to register a shot on target, with one blocked attempt being his only notable contribution. The match began with an unusual own goal: Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo misjudged a routine pass back from defender Ian Fray in the 18th minute, allowing the ball to slip through his legs and into the net.

Inter Miami equalized through Luis Suárez's penalty conversion in the 27th minute and took the lead in the 51st minute when Suárez scored again following a backheel assist from Germán Berterame. Chicago tied the match at 2-2 in the 67th minute when substitute Puso Dithejane scored his first MLS goal with a first-touch shot. Preston Plambeck sealed the victory for Miami in the 87th minute, volleying home a rebound after goalkeeper Chris Brady had parried Suárez's close-range shot.

The match marked Inter Miami's return from the World Cup break. The club played without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, both Argentine internationals who were resting after their team's loss to Spain in the World Cup final on July 20. Inter Miami improved to 10-2-4 with the victory, extending their winning streak to five games and maintaining second place in the Eastern Conference with 34 points. Chicago Fire, playing without leading scorer Hugo Cuypers—who is reportedly departing to join CF Monterrey—fell to 8-5-2 and saw their three-game winning streak end.

Lewandowski acknowledged the challenge of his debut in a post-match interview, stating that with only two days of training with his new team, he did not expect everything to work perfectly and that his team needed to improve defensively. The 37-year-old, who scored a record 41 goals for Bayern Munich in the 2020-21 season and won the Bundesliga Golden Boot seven times, brings significant pedigree to MLS after four seasons with Barcelona. After the match, Lewandowski was approached by Inter Miami fans at the stadium requesting autographs and expressing respect for the veteran striker.

Miami coach Guillermo Hoyos indicated there was no set return date for Messi and De Paul, stating the club would provide them adequate time to recover from the physical and mental toll of a grueling World Cup campaign.