Antoine Griezmann is coming to Major League Soccer.
MLS side Orlando City has signed the Atlético Madrid star on a free transfer. It's a two-year deal through the 2027-28 season — with a club option for 2028-29 — that will begin in July following the World Cup.
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"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."
The 34-year-old Griezmann has spent his entire club career in Spain, beginning with Real Sociedad in 2009 before moving on for his first stint with Atléti in 2014. After 180 appearances withRojiblancos, Griezmann joined Barcelona for parts of three seasons before returning to Atlético Madrid in 2022.
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Griezmann, a two-time Ballon d'Or finalist and World Cup winner, has long expressed his desire to finish his career in the United States.
"Winning La Liga and the Champions League with Barca would be a dream, and also my objective,"Griezmann told the LA Times through a translator in 2020 while playing for Barcelona. "After that winning whatever comes. There's another World Cup, so the World Cup in Qatar. And after that MLS.
"I don't know with which team, but I really want to play there. For me it's an objective to end my career in the United States with the possibility of playing well and being a big part of the team and fighting for a title."
A big fan of American sports, Griezmann hasbeen spotted at NHL and NBA gamesover the years. He's also a big admirer of the NFL and currentlyco-hosts a football podcast called "Grizi Huddle."
There were numerous MLS clubs who reportedly expressed interest in signing Griezmann, but Orlando City held his MLS discovery rights.
Griezmann now joins Ballon d'Or and Champions League winner Kaká (2015-2017) and and four-time Premier League and European Championship winner Nani (2019-2021) as high-profile players to sign with Orlando City.
Orlando City has made the postseason in each of the past six MLS seasons after missing out in the franchise's first five years in the league. The only trophy won in the club's history is the 2022 U.S. Open Cup.
The 2026 season has been a tough one early on for Orlando. They are currently 1-4-0 and fired head coach Óscar Pareja earlier this month.
