Antoine Griezmann boarded a flight to the United States on Sunday night, hours after Atlético Madrid's 3-2 derby loss at the Bernabéu, to sign for Orlando City SC. Marca, Cadena SER, and Fabrizio Romano all confirm it. The move is free, the contract is two years, and it starts in June.
He's going with Atlético's blessing — but not before he's done with them. The Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad on April 18 is still on his calendar, and so are the Champions League quarterfinals against Barcelona. Griezmann made it clear he wasn't walking out mid-season, and he hasn't.
What Atlético are actually losing
211 goals. That's Griezmann's tally as Atlético's all-time top scorer — a number built across two separate spells that bookended a three-year stint at Barcelona. This season alone, despite starting in a reduced role under Simeone, he's put up 13 goals and four assists in 42 appearances. Six of those goals came as a substitute — more than any other outfield player in LaLiga from the bench. He's also their leading Copa del Rey scorer this campaign with five.
He reasserted himself from November onwards when it looked like his Atleti story might quietly fade out. It didn't. He dragged himself back into the picture, which makes the departure feel less like a graceful exit and more like unresolved business that the calendar is simply closing out.
For Atlético, who are about to navigate their first summer under Apollo Sports Capital as majority shareholders, finding a like-for-like replacement isn't a realistic project. It's a slow rebuild. Griezmann's output, his movement in tight spaces, and his ability to change a game from the bench aren't qualities that arrive in one signing. Any odds on Atlético's attacking output next season probably need adjusting downward before a replacement is even identified.
Orlando's biggest signing since... a while
Orlando City have been chasing this for a month. Landing a 35-year-old Griezmann — World Cup winner, two-time Ballon d'Or top-three finisher, LaLiga title holder — is a genuine coup for MLS's Eastern Conference, not just a retirement vanity move. Whether he can sustain his current form in a less physically demanding league is a fair question, but based on what he's shown in Spain this season, there's no reason to assume he arrives coasting.
The Lions have their headline act for 2025. Griezmann just needs to finish what he started in Madrid first.
