{"id":918620,"date":"2026-07-09T14:12:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T19:12:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/09\/orlando-city-unveil-antoine-griezmann-my-goal-is-to-win-a-trophy-mlssoccer-com\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T14:12:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T19:12:54","slug":"orlando-city-unveil-antoine-griezmann-my-goal-is-to-win-a-trophy-mlssoccer-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/09\/orlando-city-unveil-antoine-griezmann-my-goal-is-to-win-a-trophy-mlssoccer-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando City unveil Antoine Griezmann: &#8220;My goal is to win a trophy&#8221; | MLSSoccer.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<p>He might just be the club\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/orlando-city-sign-french-superstar-antoine-griezmann-atletico-madrid-transfer\">biggest signing ever<\/a> \u2013 and certainly the biggest since Kak\u00e1 arrived to launch the Lions into MLS in 2015 \u2013 and his introduction reflected as such.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/orlando-city\/\">Orlando City<\/a> officially welcomed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/players\/antoine-griezmann\/\">Antoine Griezmann<\/a> on Tuesday with a lavish showcase event attended by media, supporters and club owner and chairman Mark Wilf, underlining both the French legend\u2019s talents and the club\u2019s ambitions to make him the cornerstone of a title contender.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHere I am, very eager, and my goal is to win a trophy and make the whole city happy,\u201d said the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, who dyed his hair OCSC purple as part of the hype campaign, in Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>I will give my absolute best, my 1000%, for this team, for these colors, and in the end the ball comes first.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n                                <iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/et2ifE0vsQI?feature=oembed\" allowfullscreen title=\"The Arrival | Antoine Griezmann | Orlando City SC\"><\/iframe>\n                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>MLS dreams realized<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, Griezmann dropped the curtain on a glittering decade-plus at Atl\u00e9tico Madrid, in which he helped the Spanish powerhouse win UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup titles and reach the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey finals, departing as the club\u2019s all-time leading scorer.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the international level, he anchored one of the most successful eras in France\u2019s history, helping Les Bleus reach the 2022 World Cup and 2016 Euro finals, in addition to their 2018 World Cup triumph, and finishing as the program\u2019s all-time leader in assists.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, he revealed that he\u2019s had MLS on his mind the entire time, and at age 35, he arrives with plenty left in the tank.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSince I was 18, my dream and ambition was to come here to MLS,\u201d said the versatile attacker, whose love of North American sports and culture has been well established by his many Stateside visits over the years.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0\u201cAmerican culture has always drawn me in; I\u2019ve made 24-hour trips just to watch NFL or NBA games. I wanted to arrive in good physical and mental shape, and I think I&#8217;m in perfect condition to perform, which is what I wanted: to help the team grow.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<blockquote>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Antoine Griezmann introduced to the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/OrlandoCitySC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@OrlandoCitySC<\/a> fans for the first time \ud83d\udc4b <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vrjZJJ8AQ3\">pic.twitter.com\/vrjZJJ8AQ3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MLS\/status\/2074645109266653415?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>New chapter<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>Explaining why he chose Orlando, Griezmann spoke warmly of Lions general manager and sporting director Ricardo Moreira and his extensive recruitment efforts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fact that he traveled all the way to my house in Madrid really touched me,\u201d he said of Moreira, calling the club\u2019s push for his signature \u201ca big gamble\u201d and \u201can incredible effort\u201d that fuels his motivation that much further. \u201cWe had a great conversation; he\u2019s someone who gives his all for his club, works hard every day, and always gives 100%. He\u2019s so humble.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a wonderful surprise for me. I think that\u2019s where it all started \u2013 after that talk and getting to know him. That\u2019s when my affection for Orlando and my desire to come here really grew. The very next day, I told my sister I wanted to do whatever it took to come to the United States, to MLS.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Griezmann, his wife Erika Choperena and their four young children have already settled into a large lakefront home in the Orlando suburbs, and he\u2019s been training with his new teammates in hopes of making a fast start to his MLS career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI connected very well with the club, I loved the city and my children are delighted,\u201d said Griezmann. \u201cIt has been incredible and unexpected for my family and me, and hopefully we can give that affection back.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe level of what I saw technically was quite, very good,\u201d he said of his early training sessions under Lions interim head coach Mart\u00edn Perelman. \u201cI&#8217;ll have to see how it goes in the matches, but I&#8217;m very, very happy with the level we&#8217;re showing this week that I&#8217;ve been training, and I&#8217;m sure we&#8217;ll keep improving.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n                                <iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lbLeh4ZDUKY?feature=oembed\" allowfullscreen title=\"2026 Training | Antoine Griezmann trains with the Lions\"><\/iframe>\n                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p><h3>Long-term mindset<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s ample work to do in central Florida. With 44 goals conceded in their first 15 league matches, Orlando have been by far MLS\u2019s leakiest defense in the first half of the season and at present they sit four points below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference in 12th place (4W-9L-2D).<\/p>\n<p>While Griezmann aims to make an immediate impact, Moreira also emphasizes that he\u2019s a signature signing with a long-term mindset. His two-and-a-half-year Designated Player contract runs through the 2027-28 season with a club option for 2028-29.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe can be the face of this club for hopefully many years,\u201d said the Brazilian CSO.<\/p>\n<p>The Lions will make a cross-country trip to San Jose to face the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/san-jose-earthquakes\/\">Earthquakes<\/a> at PayPal Park for their first league match after the World Cup break on July 22 (10:30 pm ET | <a href=\"https:\/\/tv.apple.com\/us\/sporting-event\/san-jose-earthquakes-vs-orlando-city\/umc.cse.5jjzn1ctxgdiw3fnvw0sfmm2p\">Apple TV<\/a>), followed by his home debut at Inter&#038;Co Stadium three days later vs. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/clubs\/nashville-sc\/\">Nashville SC<\/a> (8:30 pm ET | <a href=\"https:\/\/tv.apple.com\/us\/sporting-event\/orlando-city-vs-nashville-sc\/umc.cse.15lbdlwc1sznklkw657dso8xm?ctx_brand=tvs.sbd.4000\">Apple TV<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Griezmann issued a rallying cry to the hardcore Lions faithful who prowl The Wall, the stadium\u2019s steeply canted supporters\u2019 section at the venue\u2019s north end.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust keep doing what you&#8217;ve been doing for years, pushing the team forward,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope I can score many goals in that side of the stadium. Let&#8217;s enjoy it together, let&#8217;s be a nightmare for the opponent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSurely, if we go hand in hand, we&#8217;ll win the trophy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n                                <iframe data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4F2xQAfRObI?feature=oembed\" allowfullscreen title=\"Antoine Griezmann | From M\u00e2con to Orlando | Orlando City SC\"><\/iframe>\n                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlssoccer.com\/news\/orlando-city-unveil-antoine-griezmann-my-goal-is-to-win-a-trophy\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a>Becki Howe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soccer He might just be the club\u2019s biggest signing ever \u2013 and certainly the biggest since Kak\u00e1 arrived to launch the Lions into MLS in 2015 \u2013 and his introduction reflected as such. Orlando City officially welcomed Antoine Griezmann on Tuesday with a lavish showcase event attended by media, supporters and club owner and chairman [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":918621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[804,2005,2580],"tags":[6614,10760],"class_list":["post-918620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","category-soccer","category-unveil","tag-orlando","tag-unveil"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=918620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/918620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/918621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=918620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=918620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=918620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}