ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando City officially introduced forward Antoine Griezmann as the club prepares to return from the World Cup break. Griezmann is expected to make his MLS debut later this month.
“Training hard, playing hard and knowing the offense,” Griezmann said when asked what he’ll bring to Orlando City. “Helping my team defensively. I think it’s important for me to show the example.”
Griezmann signed with Orlando City in March after spending most of his career with Atletico Madrid. The 35-year-old has played 17 years in Spain’s La Liga, scoring more than 200 goals. He was also a part of France’s 2018 World Cup Championship.
“To have a player, a world superstar like Antoine, to be able to come here. The entire soccer operation, we know what we want to have. We want to have a championship-caliber club,” Orlando City owner Mark Wilf said.
Orlando City General Manager Ricardo Moreira said Griezmann’s presence can help the club on and off the field.
“He connects with other players on the field, off the field,” Moreira said. “It shows our ambition to win trophies, to compete for trophies. He can be the face of this club for hopefully many years from now.”
Griezmann is expected to make his Major League Soccer debut later this month, a moment he is looking forward to.
“That will be amazing for me. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I hope I can score one goal and do some celebration with my teammates and the fans,” Griezmann said.
As Orlando City restarts its season, the Lions are 12th in the Eastern Conference and four points out of a playoff spot. Griezmann will now join a team looking for a second-half surge.