Lewandowski and Griezmann poised for MLS debuts amid league's star power surge

Major League Soccer (MLS) is gearing up for a significant day of debuts as two of its newest star attractions, Robert Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann, are expected to make their first appearances. While Lionel Messi's return is still anticipated, the league will witness the much-awaited entry of these prominent international players.

Antoine Griezmann, the 35-year-old French forward, could make his debut for Orlando City in an away match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Griezmann recently concluded his long tenure with Atlético Madrid and has already featured in a friendly for his new club, scoring in a 6-0 victory. Orlando City, currently 13th in the Eastern Conference, desperately needs its new star to improve its season performance after a difficult start that led to the dismissal of coach Óscar Pareja.

Robert Lewandowski was scheduled to debut for the Chicago Fire last Thursday when the MLS resumed after a break. The Polish striker was set to play against Thomas Müller's Vancouver Whitecaps, but the match was postponed due to severe air quality issues in Chicago caused by smoke from wildfires in southern Canada. Lewandowski has been training intensely for his first experience outside European football.

Chicago Fire's coach, Gregg Berhalter, praised Lewandowski's work ethic, stating, "One thing I can say about Robert is that he has a tremendous work ethic. He joined after having jet lag all last week and still is demanding from the teammates in training. He does extra work afterwards. You can see why he has scored more goals than anyone in Europe in the last 15 years, because he is an absolute professional."

Lewandowski's potential debut on Wednesday would be at Inter Miami's stadium, DRV PNK Stadium. However, Lionel Messi will not be present to welcome the Polish star, as he returned to his native Rosario, Argentina, to rest with his family after Argentina's World Cup final loss. Inter Miami's coach, Guillermo Hoyos, has not set a timeframe for Messi's and Rodrigo de Paul's recovery period.

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One thing I can say about Robert is that he has a tremendous work ethic. He joined after having jet lag all last week and still is demanding from the teammates in training. He does extra work afterwards. You can see why he has scored more goals than anyone in Europe in the last 15 years, because he is an absolute professional.