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Lewandowski set to join Barca after verbal agreement with Bayern
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AFP
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski is set to join Barcelona after the two clubs reached an agreement in principle on the transfer, the clubs said on Saturday.
The 33-year-old has 12 months remaining on his Bayern contract and multiple media reports had said he was expected to sign a three-year deal with the 26-times Spanish champions.
“We have come to a verbal agreement with Barcelona,” Bayern president Herbert Hainer said in a statement.
“It’s good to have clarity for all parties. Robert is an incredible player and he won everything with us. We are incredibly grateful to him.”
Spanish media reported that Barcelona would pay around 45 million euros ($45.4 million) plus another five million in add-ons for the Poland striker.
Lewandowski took part in his last training session with Bayern on Saturday after which he was seen saying goodbye to his team mates, embracing each of them.
He was not present at the team presentation for the 2022-23 season later in the day. He is expected to join Barcelona on their pre-season U.S. tour, during which he is set to undergo a medical, Spanish media said.
“We spoke at length with our colleagues from Barcelona and clarified the details. He said farewell this morning,” Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic said on the club’s website.
“After our trip to the U.S., he’ll come back one more time and we’ll have a coffee together. We wish him every success at his new club.”
The player’s contract with Barcelona is still pending, Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn said.
“We know very well what we have to thank Robert for, but great players have also left FC Bayern in the past, and even after that Bayern’s world did not fall apart. On the contrary, it often continued with even more success,” he added.
Lewandowski joined Bayern in 2014 from Borussia Dortmund and has won the Bundesliga every year since then, as well as the Champions League in 2020.
Named FIFA Best Men’s Player for the second straight year in January, Lewandowski said in May that his story with Bayern was over and he could not imagine staying on with the German champions. Read full story
The club were not eager to let the Bundesliga’s second-highest all-time scorer go, but Salihamidzic had confirmed Lewandowski did not accept an offer to extend his contract and was looking for a new experience elsewhere.
Bayern also announced that Germany forward Serge Gnabry, who had been linked by British media with a return to the Premier League, had extended his contract until 2026.
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The opening round of Norway Chess 2026 delivered high drama, surprise results and intense Armageddon battles as some of the world’s biggest chess stars clashed in Oslo.
The biggest shock of the day came when Alireza Firouzja defeated World No 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical play, handing the hometown hero a painful opening-round loss.
Carlsen appeared in control for much of the encounter, but severe time pressure proved costly. A late mistake allowed Firouzja to seize the initiative and convert his advantage with precision, giving the French grandmaster the only classical win in the men’s tournament and the early lead in the standings.
Indian star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu battled Wesley So to a balanced classical draw before dominating the Armageddon tiebreak with aggressive attacking play to secure extra points.
Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju survived a difficult endgame against German grandmaster Vincent Keymer. Keymer held a near-winning position for large parts of the game, but Gukesh produced stubborn defensive resistance to force a draw before bouncing back to win the decider.
The women’s tournament also opened with a major upset as Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Indian No. 1 Humpy Koneru in classical chess. Assaubayeva handled the middlegame complications confidently and converted her advantage smoothly to emerge as the early tournament leader.
Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner played out a tense classical draw before Zhu claimed victory in Armageddon.
In another closely watched matchup, Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun pressed hard for victory against rising Indian talent Divya Deshmukh, but the classical game ended level. Divya then impressed in the Armageddon playoff, securing a memorable tiebreak victory.
Held from May 25 to June 5 in Oslo, Norway Chess 2026 features two elite six-player tournaments running simultaneously, Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women, both using a double round-robin format with equal prize funds.
One of the tournament’s unique features remains its Armageddon system, where drawn classical games are immediately followed by a tiebreak game to ensure every round produces a winner.
After an explosive first day filled with upsets, comebacks and fighting chess, the tournament has already set the stage for a thrilling edition in Oslo.
As Norway Chess 2026 gets underway in Oslo, all eyes are once again on the growing rivalry between D. Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen, a clash that has become one of modern chess’s biggest storylines.
Tournament organisers have confirmed the reigning world champion and former world number one will face each other twice during this year’s event, first on May 28 and again on June 5.
The rematch already carries extra intrigue after last year’s dramatic showdown, when Carlsen reacted emotionally after losing to the teenage Indian sensation, a moment that quickly went viral across the sporting world.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Gukesh kept things calm when asked whether he expected another fiery reaction from the Norwegian superstar.
“My job is to play chess. That is within my control,” said the 19-year-old world champion, who turns 20 later this week.
But the Indian grandmaster also admitted that moments of emotion and rivalry are helping chess attract a wider audience globally.
“Chess players generally don’t show a lot of emotions, but when it did happen, a lot of people got attracted to chess,” Gukesh said.
“I feel that chess players generally expressing more is fun to watch.”
This year’s tournament also marks a major commercial moment for the sport. Earlier this year, Erling Haaland invested in Norway Chess and its new Total Chess World Championship Tour project, another sign of chess crossing deeper into mainstream global sport.
The event has also started building stronger Gulf connections. Last year’s Norway Chess Open featured Rouda Al Serkal, the GCC’s first woman grandmaster, reflecting the UAE’s growing presence in international chess.
The 2026 edition features another elite field in both the Open and Women’s tournaments.
In the Open section, Carlsen opens against Alireza Firouzja, while Gukesh begins his campaign against Vincent Keymer. R Praggnanandhaa will face Wesley So.
The women’s competition includes reigning world champion Ju Wenjun, Koneru Humpy, Anna Muzychuk and rising Indian star Divya Deshmukh.
Running until June 5, Norway Chess continues to position itself as one of the sport’s premier events, blending elite competition, viral rivalries and growing global appeal far beyond the traditional chess audience.
Photo credit: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
Norway Chess 2026 opens with chaos, comebacks and surprise results
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