Robert Lewandowski reveals how Lionel Messi changed the trajectory of his career

EXCLUSIVE: Robert Lewandowski has opened up about his rivalry with Lionel Messi.

Having carved their legacies in stone as two of the greatest players to have ever set foot on a football pitch, MLS fans recently revelled in the opportunity to watch the two sporting superstars battle it out in an epic fixture between Chicago Fire and Inter Miami.

Lionel Messi motivated Robert Lewandowski

On September 9, the world stood still as Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski went to battle once again.

In a moment that will go down in Chicago Fire history, the American side broke its attendance record, with 63,094 supporters packing Soldier Field Stadium for a memorable encounter with Inter Miami.

Of course, the legends were never going to disappoint. Showcasing his brilliance, it took Lewandowski less than ten minutes to find the back of the net. However, Messi wasn’t going to go down without a fight, with the footballing magician beautifully setting up Casemiro, to secure a 1-1 draw for his club.

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The tremendous encounter marked the next chapter in the pair’s rivalry, with the Chicago Fire striker now opening up about how the 2022 World Cup winner gave him the desire to reach his dazzling potential.

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, Lewandowski explained: “When I look and see Lionel Messi, for many years we’ve competed against each other. I tried to be close to his level, and of course that was tough, but he motivated me to score more goals. To compete with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and to win the FIFA Men’s Player Award two years in a row is amazing because Messi is a legend. He achieved everything in football, so to play against him in the MLS is nice. We’ve had similar stories, but I’m focused now on Chicago Fire to take them to the top. I’m sure we’ll be ready for the playoffs.”

Robert Lewandowski has big ambitions at Chicago Fire

With Chicago Fire having secured a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs, Lewandowski has opened up about what he wants from his team.

The powerhouse explained: “It’s all about the process. We need to work hard both on and off the pitch because I see that we have huge potential to do better things on the pitch, create more situations, score more goals, be more dangerous. I think we will build this and be ready for the playoffs. I hope that we will play even better than now. We will be the team with possession that keeps the ball, that creates situations and be braver with the offence because we have the potential to play this way. I hope that our moments come in the playoffs.”

In a matter of hours, Chicago Fire will play Orlando City in an eagerly anticipated fixture. UK fans can watch on Apple TV.

Featured Image Credit: Getty