Star French forward and World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid has signed to play for Orlando City, the club announced Tuesday.
Griezmann, 35, will join Orlando in the summer on a deal through the 2027-28 season with an option for 2028-29. Financial terms of the contract were not released.
He will wear the No. 7 shirt for the Lions.
“Antoine is a complete footballer — creative, intelligent, clinical — and he is a proven winner on the biggest stages of the game,” Ricardo Moreira, Orlando City SC General Manager & Sporting Director, said in a statement. “Beyond his talent, he brings leadership, a relentless drive and a championship mentality that will elevate everyone around him. This is a statement signing for our club and ownership group, and we are thrilled to welcome Antoine and his family to Orlando.”
Orlando has struggled this season, winning only once in its first five matches. Two 5-0 defeats in the past three games have highlighted an issue with the offense, something the club hopes Griezmann, Atletico’s all-time leading goal-scorer, can fix. The Lions have only scored five goals so far this season, well off the pace they set last season with a club-record 63 goals.
Griezmann, who was part of the French World Cup champion team in 2018, has primarily played as a substitute this season, but he has still racked up 14 goals and four assists in 46 games across all competitions. He has shown he is still capable of changing games, something Orlando will be relying on once he joins after the World Cup break.
“I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City,” Griezmann said in the statement. “From my first conversations with the Club, I could feel a strong ambition and a clear vision for the future, and that really spoke to me. I look forward to making Orlando my new home, meeting the supporters, feeling the energy at Inter&Co Stadium, and giving everything I have to help the team achieve great things.”
Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann signed with Orlando City SC according to an announcement on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Orlando City)