Transfer Tracker

Chicago Fire's Bastian Schweinsteiger announces retirement

Bastian Schweinsteiger - Chicago Fire - Close up

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Retirement


Chicago Fire star Bastian Schweinsteiger announced his retirement on Tuesday, calling time on a glittering career that spanned two decades and included eight Bundesliga championships, seven DFB-Pokal titles, one FA Cup, a UEFA Champions League triumph and a key role in Germany's 2014 World Cup win.

After spending most of his club career at Bayern Munich, Schweinsteiger, 35, moved on to Manchester United for two seasons before joining the Fire as a Designated Player in 2017. He would lead the Men in Red for three years, helping them return to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in 2017 after a four-year drought and earning MLS All-Star honors in '17 and '19, captaining the All-Stars vs. Real Madrid on home soil in Chicago two years ago. 

Working as a tempo-setting central midfielder early in his Fire days, Schweinsteiger more recently shifted back into central defense, though he also contributed as a playmaker at times. He finishes his run in MLS with eight goals and 15 assists in 85 regular-season appearances (83 starts).