Atlético Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is set to be the latest international superstar in MLS.
The 35-year-old Frenchman is ending an over 15-year tenure in La Liga to join Orlando City, flying to Florida on Sunday to confirm a deal which will come into effect after the 2026 World Cup.
He could be in purple and gold as early as July 22, when the Lions face the San Jose Earthquakes, and his signing represents a huge coup for Orlando City—any team in MLS would have been ecstatic to get the 2018 World Cup winner on their roster and in fact, many reportedly tried, including Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
Nonetheless, no team is in more dire need of Griezmann’s expertise than Orlando, who has been vying for the attacker since MLS’s winter transfer window and held his discovery rights. Heading into the international break, the Lions sit 13th in the Eastern Conference with one single win and four losses—including two 5–0 defeats in their last three games.
Orlando, who fired their longtime head coach Óscar Pareja after three losses to start the season, are still scrambling for a longterm solution, and Griezmann may be just that.
The star striker—with stints at Real Sociedad, FC Barcelona and Atléti—scored 298 goals across 792 appearances in Spain’s La Liga. He notched 44 goals and 38 assists with the French national team before retiring from international play in 2024. Griezmann’s most famous performance came in France’s 2018 World Cup final win, when he scored a penalty and provided an assist to earn Player of the Match and the Silver Boot.
So where might Orlando use Griezmann’s starpower? Here’s how the club could line up with the addition of Griezmann.
Partnership with Duncan McGuire
Griezmann is not just a striker, but also a playmaker. He is known for his creativity on the ball; his astute ability to read the game and create unique opportunities; and his tendency to sit in and play as a second striker.
The Frenchman’s skillset could pair extremely well with that of Duncan McGuire. The 6'1" striker is a physically-imposing presence whose skillset is largely dependent on that factor and is derived from his NCAA background. The 2023 Creighton graduate relies on his movement off the ball and loves to run at defenses and find ways to get in behind.
The contrastingly-small Griezmann—who stands at 5'9"—may be able to capitalize on McGuire’s “full speed ahead” mentality, while himself offering something completely different. Griezmann could play off of McGuire a bit, using his creative nous to find the large striker in behind.
Lone Striker
There is also no doubt that Griezmann could handle the goalscoring himself, with some assistance underneath from Designated Player Martín Ojeda. The Argentine midfielder is similarly known for his creativity and incisive passing, possessing a mind that probably thinks alike to Griezmann’s.
As the lone striker, Griezmann would be heavily reliant on wingers Iván Angulo and Marco Pašalić, both of whom have been, and will continue to be, integral to how the Lions play.
Regardless of how the team shapes up, Griezmann up top will need to breathe new life into Orlando who have just four goals on the season thus far, averaging less than one per game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Orlando City Could Line Up With World Cup Winner Antoine Griezmann.
