Antoine Griezmann: Orlando City welcome new "face of this club" | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

Antoine Griezmann’s interest in Major League Soccer has been apparent for years; so has his affection for North American sport, culture and lifestyles.

What Orlando City general manager and sporting director Ricardo Moreira wants to emphasize above all about his club’s new showcase signing, however, is the French legend’s commitment to success on these shores.

“He will come here with a lot of passion and a lot of intention to make this project work, and to compete for championships and hopefully win trophies,” Moreira told MLSsoccer.com as Griezmann made the rounds at Orlando's facilities Monday evening.

“He believes that the team is good. He believes that the roster is good. We're obviously not going through the best moment of our lives here in Orlando City now, in terms of results. But I think he also sees the talent. He also sees the medium, long-term vision, and he wants to be a part of that.”

Perfect addition

Atlético Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 211g/97a in 488 matches, Griezmann’s attacking quality is unmistakable, as is his work rate and hunger for trophies. He helped France claim the 2018 FIFA World Cup, one of his eight major titles for club and country, and his tactical versatility makes him that much more intriguing for Orlando.

“He played on the wing, he played as a second striker, behind the striker, he played as a false No. 9,” said Moreira. “So I think in our model, in the system that we're used to seeing Orlando City in the past few years, he can be a false No. 9. He can play striker, dropping back with Martín Ojeda occupying his space when he drops. He can play with our strikers, with Duncan McGuire, with Tiago.

“He's going to give us a lot of options in the attack.”

As a longtime resident of Spain, fluent in French, Spanish and conversational in English, he’s also a natural figurehead for a diverse Lions squad representing 15 different nations around the world. 

“He loves America, seems like a guy that wants to have this experience, for himself and for his family, for the education of the kids, for the culture, for the future of these kids as well,” Moreira said of Griezmann, a father of four young children with his wife Erika Choperena. “So I think it's a mix of everything. But listen, I just want to reiterate the fact that he's coming here to try and help us win championships. 

“He’s everything that we're looking for, on and off the field. I think he's a guy that can be the face of this club, this organization, for years to come.”

Playing the long game

Orlando began exploring a swoop for Griezmann back in late October, and pushed to bring him to Central Florida during the MLS Primary Transfer Window that closes this Thursday.

But his distinguished stature at Atléti complicated those hopes, as did the proceedings of Los Rojiblancos’ excellent 2025-26 campaign: The Spanish giants have advanced to the Copa del Rey final and the quarterfinals of UEFA Champions League, and are on course for a top-four finish in LaLiga, which would book qualification for next season’s Champions League as well.

“It was a decision by both Atlético Madrid and Antoine that it would be better for all parties that he finished in a good way his relationship with the club,” explained Moreira. “He's very respectful of the club. He's very respectful of the opportunities that he was given by Atlético Madrid. So he wanted to do a proper farewell with the club, and hopefully for his benefit and Atlético's benefit, with a trophy.

“Hopefully, we'll be in a very good position in the standings when he comes, so he can be the cherry on the cake for Orlando City.”

Early-season struggles

The euphoria of Griezmann’s summer transfer going official cuts sharply against the Lions’ start to 2026, with Orlando currently sitting third from bottom in the Eastern Conference standings with a 1W-4L-0D record as well as the league’s worst goal differential (-12) and most goals conceded (17 in five matches). 

Both performances and results have been rough enough to prompt the first coaching change of the MLS season, as longtime boss Oscar Pareja departed by mutual agreement on March 11, replaced on an interim basis by his assistant Martín Perelman. And the purple side of Florida already tasted a bitter 4-2 comeback defeat to their southern rivals (and defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champions) Inter Miami CF.

“It's not easy to keep calm and believe in the process of something that we're building when the results are not in favor,” acknowledged Moreira, “and when we concede as many goals as we have in the past few games. But we're not talking about three, four, or five games here; we're talking about something bigger, something longer. 

“We wanted to be here on a day like this with a couple more wins in the bag. But I think what is going on now is a statement moment for the team, and we have to leave some things behind, or on the side, for a moment, and just cherish the moment that we're living as a club, because it's an important move for us.”

Trending upwards

Orlando’s leadership believe key injuries to the likes of Robin Jansson and Wilder Cartagena, combined with the learning curve imposed by significant offseason roster churn – 11 departures, eight arrivals – have given the impression of a team much worse than it truly is. Much of the spine of the sides that won the 2022 US Open Cup and reached the conference final of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs remains.

Collective growth over the next few months, combined with Griezmann’s impending arrival and MLS’s nearly two-month pause for the 2026 FIFA World Cup – which essentially offers a chance at a second preseason – can transform Orlando’s fortunes down the stretch, in Moreira’s view.

Might the Lions find a bigger pool of potential head coaching candidates after the World Cup, too? Moreira prefers to underline the club’s faith in Perelman to guide the ship through a phase of transition.

“We're not thinking about managers that are going to be available. We're thinking about the cycle of training that we're going to need with the head coach in charge,” Moreira said. 

“We're dealing with lots of injuries, lot of issues that obviously are not expected. We've changed a lot. We've changed the head coach, obviously, and I think it's a natural pain. We're still forming, storming – soon enough we're going to be performing.”