Robert Lewandowski scores early as over 60,000 fans watch Chicago Fire face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami

Sold-out clash at Soldier Field

Chicago Fire hosted Inter Miami at Soldier Field in Chicago on Thursday, drawing over 60,000 spectators for the first MLS matchup between Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi. Chicago Fire opened the scoring in the tenth minute of the match following an attacking sequence on the wing. Defender Andrew Gutman bypassed his opponent with a feint and delivered a cross into the penalty area. Lewandowski positioned himself inside the box and directed the ball into the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead. The goal marked the Polish striker's seventh goal in all competitions since arriving at the club.

The Lewandowski effect in Chicago

Lewandowski signed with Chicago in mid-July after the expiration of his contract with Barcelona. The 38-year-old forward has increased average home attendance at Soldier Field by approximately 10,000 spectators, pushing average crowds above 30,000. Chicago radio journalist Daniel Bociąga noted that the interest spans far beyond the local Polish diaspora, which remains concentrated in Illinois, New York, and Michigan.

There is a Lewandowski effect in MLS, and not just among the Polish diaspora, but also among Latinos and Americans.

The surge in ticket demand means that Chicago's future stadium, planned for just over 20,000 spectators, would not accommodate the club's current average home attendance. Away from home, only Inter Miami generates higher average visiting attendances across the league than Chicago Fire.

Messi and MLS stadium relocations

Messi arrived in MLS in 2023 after moving from Paris Saint-Germain to Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham. Over 112 competitive appearances for the Florida club, the 39-year-old forward has scored 98 goals and provided 55 assists, including 75 goals in 82 MLS matches. Opposing franchises frequently relocate home fixtures against Inter Miami to larger venues, such as American football stadiums in Kansas City and Denver with capacities between 60,000 and 80,000 seats. MLS referee Łukasz Szpala described the atmosphere surrounding the Argentine forward during league matches.

Where Messi plays, the stands are full. Some teams even change stadiums to larger ones, for American football, because there is such demand for tickets.

Billboard campaigns in Chicago promoted the fixture as an individual matchup between the two forwards for more than a month prior to kickoff.

Career totals and past encounters

Prior to Thursday's game, Messi led the 2026 MLS scoring race alongside FC Dallas striker Petar Musa with 18 goals each. Across their complete club careers, Messi has scored 808 goals in 987 matches, while Lewandowski has registered 635 goals in 881 fixtures. On the international stage, Messi has scored 125 goals for Argentina, and Lewandowski has recorded 89 goals for Poland. Their competitive history includes three Champions League encounters between Barcelona and Bayern Munich, including a 2014–2015 semi-final and Bayern's 8-2 quarter-final victory in 2020, as well as a 2022 World Cup group fixture won 2-0 by Argentina.