FC Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski is set to leave the club at the end of the season. The legendary Polish striker, one of the greatest goalscorers in football history, is leaving after a four-year loan spell at FC Barcelona, where he won seven titles. The Polish striker scored 119 goals in 191 games, making him the team’s 14th all-time top scorer.
Lewandowski arrived at the club when Barcelona were at one of the lowest points in their modern history, rocked by a financial crisis and uncertainty on and off the pitch. Barcelona paid an initial transfer fee of €45 million plus add-ons to bring Lewandowski from Bayern Munich, where he scored 344 goals while winning eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League.
Lewandowski made an immediate impact, topping LaLiga’s scoring charts with 23 goals in his debut season and helping Barcelona to their first league title in four years.
“After four years full of challenges and hard work, it’s time to move on. I leave feeling mission accomplished. Four seasons, three championships,” Lewandowski said in a statement.
“I will never forget the love I received from the fans from my very first days. Catalonia is my place on earth,” he added.
“Barca is back where it belongs,” the striker concluded.
After four years full of challenges and hard work, it is time to move on.
I leave feeling mission accomplished. 4 seasons, 3 championships.
I will never forget the love I received from the fans from my early days.
Catalonia is my place on earth.
Thank you pic.twitter.com/xrggN3Gisv— Robert Lewandowski (@lewy_official) May 16, 2026
Lewandowski was also Barcelona’s top scorer in the following two LaLiga campaigns, including the 2024–25 season, when he scored 27 goals to help the club retain the title. However, the striker has struggled with several injuries this season, starting just 15 of his 29 LaLiga games and scoring 13 goals.
He made a late appearance as Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-0 to win LaLiga last weekend, while his goal in Barcelona’s 2-1 win over CA Osasuna earlier this month set the club up for the title with a Clasico win.
Aside from the goals, Lewandowski brought leadership and composure to a Barcelona attack full of young players during his tenure. He was constantly seen guiding teammates in positioning, movement and decision-making as Barcelona transformed themselves into one of the most devastating attacking sides in Europe over the past two years.
For many of Barcelona’s rising stars, Lewandowski was more than just a striker. He was a mentor, a point of reference and a player whose standards shaped the dressing room during an important rebuilding era for the club. At a time when Barcelona desperately needed stability and belief, Lewandowski arrived with the aura of a serial winner and helped restore both.
Media reports suggest that Lewandowski has received offers from Saudi Arabia, Italy and the United States. Wherever he goes, he leaves Barcelona as one of the club’s defining figures after Messi’s rebuild – a legendary goalscorer whose influence extended far beyond the numbers on the scoresheet.
– The end
Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
16 May 2026 20:56 IST
