Summary: French World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann is heading to MLS! Orlando City confirms blockbuster signing of the 35-year-old superstar on a two-year deal. Find out all the details of this massive transfer.
Orlando City has pulled off one of the biggest coups in Major League Soccer history by securing the signature of French football icon Antoine Griezmann. The 2018 World Cup winner has agreed to a two-year contract that will keep him in Florida through the 2027-28 season, with an option for an additional campaign.
The Deal Structure
The 35-year-old forward’s move to American football is subject to standard procedures – passing a medical examination, receiving his International Transfer Certificate, and obtaining a P-1 visa. Griezmann will complete the current season with his beloved Atlético Madrid before officially joining Orlando City when the summer transfer window opens on July 13.
This is the kind of marquee signing that gets football fans across the world – including here in Nigeria – buzzing with excitement. Just like when Jay-Jay Okocha moved to Bolton or when our own stars venture to new leagues, Griezmann’s transfer represents a bold new chapter.
What Griezmann Said
Speaking about his upcoming adventure, the Frenchman expressed genuine enthusiasm: “I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City. 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.”
A Glittering Career
For those who may not have followed European football closely, Griezmann’s CV is absolutely stellar. The versatile attacker first caught global attention at Real Sociedad before Atlético Madrid snapped him up in 2014. During his first stint with Los Colchoneros, he won three trophies, including the prestigious Europa League in 2018 – the same year he lifted the World Cup with France.
His profile soared so high that Barcelona came calling in 2019, paying a whopping £107 million to secure his services, making him the sixth most expensive player in football history at that time. Though his Barcelona spell didn’t quite work out as planned, he returned to Atlético Madrid in 2021 and continued to perform at the highest level.
International Glory and Recognition
Griezmann’s international career with Les Bleus was nothing short of spectacular. He earned 137 caps for France, playing a pivotal role in their 2018 World Cup triumph in Russia and helping them reach the final again in 2022 in Qatar (where they lost to Lionel Messi’s Argentina).
His individual brilliance was recognized with third-place finishes in the Ballon d’Or voting in both 2016 and 2018 – a testament to being among the very best players on the planet during that period. He officially retired from international football in September 2024.
What This Means for MLS
This signing continues the trend of elite European stars choosing MLS as their next destination. Following in the footsteps of David Beckham, Thierry Henry, and more recently, Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, Griezmann’s arrival adds even more star power to the American league.
For football fans in Nigeria and across Africa who stay up late to watch European matches, this development makes MLS an increasingly attractive league to follow. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico on the horizon, the timing couldn’t be better for such high-profile additions to American football.
Orlando City supporters have every reason to be excited – they’re getting a proven winner, a technically gifted player, and someone who still has plenty to offer at 35. If his professionalism and dedication are anything like what we’ve seen throughout his career, the Lions have landed themselves a proper superstar.
The summer transfer window can’t come soon enough!
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