Robert Lewandowski showed why he isn't ready to leave Europe just yet, scoring a timely hat-trick in Barcelona's La Liga victory over Valencia on Monday night.
Lewandowski, 35, had gone four games without scoring for the Catalan side, including blanks in both legs of the Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain. However his treble helped Barca avoid embarrassment at home to Valencia after the visitors saw goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili sent off.
Former Bayern Munich star Lewandowski is under contract in Catalunya until 2026, but his recent woes had seen reports surface of a potential move to Major League Soccer or the Saudi Pro League. He has made clear he has no such plans, though, and the treble against Los Che was evidence he can still produce the goods in Spain.
Barca trailed 2-1 at half-time, with Mamardashvili dismissed in first-half stoppage-time. Lewandowski wasted little time getting his first of the game to equalise, and then struck twice in the final 10 minutes to ensure Xavi's team took all three points to reclaim second spot from Girona.
"Saying goodbye [to Barcelona] is definitely out of the question for me [this summer]," Lewandowski told SportBILD (via Goal) before the Valencia game. "I feel physically good again now. I had physical problems in the first half of the season. Things got better in 2024.
"As long as I continue to feel as good as I do now and notice in training that no one is outrunning me, I want to keep playing. As of today, I say: This will continue for at least two more years. Only when I notice that I am no longer physically at top level and am in pain would I start to think. That's not the case.
"I haven't bothered with [Saudi Arabia] for a second so far," he added. "Neither Saudi Arabia nor to the USA. That doesn't make sense at the moment.
"At some point it's about what my heart and my head say. When I'm 38 years old and the pain comes, I have to ask myself: Do I even want to continue? But I don't want to plan that far yet. Currently I say: I can definitely play at this highest level by 2026."
Lewandowski, who joined Barcelona from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2022, scored 23 league goals last season as Xavi's side won the league title. He only has 16 this term, and 23 in all competitions compared to 33 last term, as Xavi's team remain on course to finish second behind Real Madrid.
Barcelona's next game comes away at Girona on May 4. Victory would allow them to cement second spot, while more goals for Lewandowski at Montilivi could help him close the gap to Girona's Artem Dovbyk at the top of the scoring charts.
Fourteen of Lewandowski's 23 goals in all competitions have come since the turn of the year, while he has 10 in 15 appearances since Xavi announced he planned to leave in the summer. The manager has since gone back on that decision, with Barca and Lewandowski ready to mount a fresh title bid next season,