The French striker, who will see out the remainder of Atl\u00e9ti\u2019s season, could don the purple and gold in the U.S.\u2019s top flight as soon as July 22, when the Lions travel to the San Jose Earthquakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City,\u201d Griezmann said. \u201cFrom 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
A generational pull \ud83d\ude09 pic.twitter.com\/XoqVtLucgp<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) March 24, 2026<\/a>Antoine Griezmann\u2019s MLS Contract Details Antoine Griezmann will be the club\u2019s newest Designated Player. | Courtesy of Orlando City<\/p>\n The 35-year-old signed a contract through the 2027\u20132028 season\u2014during which he will be 37 years old\u2014with an option for 2028\u201329. Griezmann will be Orlando City\u2019s newest Designated Player, meaning his \u201ctotal compensation and acquisition costs exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge,\u201d according to MLS. For Griezmann, that is a budget of $401,562.50, given he is joining the club in the secondary transfer window.<\/p>\n Each MLS club is allotted a maximum of three Designated Player spots on its roster, and the Lions already hold three: Argentine star midfielder Mart\u00edn Ojeda, who signed a contract extension in January through the 2028\u201329 season; Paraguayan midfielder Braian Ojeda, who was acquired in January and on a new contract through the 2028\u201329 season; and Croatian winger Marco Pa\u0161ali\u0107, who was acquired in Feb. 2025 and is contracted through 2027.<\/p>\n One of the Lions\u2019 three Designated Players will need to have their salaries \u201cbought down\u201d using Targeted Allocation Money or traded to make way for Griezmann. It is unclear which player that will be.<\/p>\n What Griezmann Brings to Orlando City<\/p>\n A game-changer arriving this summer for @OrlandoCitySC<\/a>. \ud83d\udd25 \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 24, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The 2018 World Cup winner has a lot to offer Orlando City<\/a>, who currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with just a single win in the opening five games of league play. The Lions desperately need a goalscorer, averaging one goal per game thus far\u2014a stark contrast to their 17 total goals conceded.<\/p>\n \u201cAntoine is a complete footballer\u2014creative, intelligent, clinical\u2014and he is a proven winner on the biggest stages of the game,\u201d said Ricardo Moreira, Orlando City SC General Manager & Sporting Director. \u201cBeyond 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The star striker is ending an over 15-year tenure in La Liga\u2014with stints at Real Sociedad, FC Barcelona and Atl\u00e9ti\u2014during which he notched 298 goals and 132 assists across 792 appearances. He recorded 44 goals and 38 assists with the French national team before retiring from international play in 2024. Griezmann\u2019s most famous performance came in France\u2019s 2018 World Cup final win, when he scored a penalty and provided an assist to earn Player of the Match and the Silver Boot.<\/p>\n Nos queda un \u00faltimo baile, Grizi \u2764\ufe0f\ud83e\udd0d pic.twitter.com\/Jq7AthjYK1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Atl\u00e9tico de Madrid (@Atleti) March 24, 2026<\/a>READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS AND RUMORS FROM WORLD SOCCER![\"Griezmann\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/01kmg6jgxmmazy5dt9d7.jpg\" "\\"Griezmann\\"")
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