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Jeff Carlisle
Multiple Authors
Orlando City announced on Tuesday the signing of French World Cup-winning forward Antoine Griezmann to a Designated Player contract.
Griezmann, 35, has signed a two-year deal, good through the 2027-28 season, with a club option for the 2028-29 campaign.
The deal is contingent on France international passing a medical, receiving his International Transfer Certificate as well as a P-1 visa.
Griezmann will finish out the current season with Atlético Madrid and join up with Orlando when the summer transfer window opens on July 13.
“I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City,” Griezmann said in a 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.”
Griezmann will join the Lions having scaled the heights of the sport. He has scored 298 goals and added 132 assists across 792 professional appearances with Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Real Sociedad.
At club level, Griezmann has been part of teams that won the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, the 2018 UEFA Super Cup and the 2014 Spanish Supercopa with Atlético de Madrid; the 2020-21 Copa del Rey with Barcelona; and the 2009-10 LaLiga 2 title with Real Sociedad.
This season for Atleti, Griezmann has logged 13 goals and four assists across all competitions.
“Bringing Antoine to Orlando is a landmark moment not only for our club, but for our city, our supporters and for Major League Soccer,” Orlando City owner/chairman Mark Wilf said.
“He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club. Our focus is on consistently building a championship-caliber roster every year, and adding a world-class player like Antoine reinforces that commitment and our belief in what the Club can achieve.”
Griezmann has also earned numerous individual honors throughout his career, including being named LaLiga’s Player of the Year (2015-16 season), winning the Onze d’Or (2014-15 season) and the Onze de Bronze (2016-17 season) and placing third in the Ballon d’Or voting in both 2016 and 2018.
He has been selected to the LaLiga Team of the Season four times — three of them in the past four seasons.
At international level, Griezmann was a driving force in helping France win the 2018 FIFA World Cup title and finish as runners-up in 2022.
Griezmann earned the Bronze Ball and Silver Boot awards at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, along with Man of the Match honors in the final. He also helped Les Bleus win the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League title.
Griezmann announced his retirement from international play in 2024, finishing with 44 goals — the fourth-most in French national team history — along with 38 assists across 137 appearances.
“Antoine is a complete footballer — creative, intelligent, clinical — and he is a proven winner on the biggest stages of the game,” Orlando City GM and sporting director Ricardo Moreira said.
“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.”
