Antoine Griezmann is boarding a plane to the United States this week. Marca, The Athletic and Cadena SER all confirmed on Sunday night — minutes after Atlético's 3-2 derby loss at the Bernabéu — that the 35-year-old has been given permission to travel to Orlando and sign the last big contract of his career.
The deal will see Griezmann join Orlando City SC on a two-year contract with an option for the 2028/29 season. He will officially complete the move after the European season ends — specifically after the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad on April 19, a match he is expected to play in before departing.
Orlando City sporting director Ricardo Pereira made multiple trips to Spain to negotiate the deal over the past month. An earlier move in March was blocked by Atlético, who were unwilling to lose him mid-season with their Copa del Rey final and UCL quarter-final against Barcelona still to come.
Griezmann is Atlético Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 211 goals across two spells. He twice finished third in Ballon d'Or voting, captained France to the 2018 World Cup, and has scored 13 goals with four assists in 42 appearances this season. In La Liga, no player has scored more goals as a substitute than Griezmann's six this term.
He will wear his familiar number 7 shirt at Orlando City, who have had a rough start to 2026 — losing 5-0 to Nashville on Saturday and parting ways with long-time manager Oscar Pareja on March 11. Griezmann will instantly become one of the highest-profile signings in MLS history.
