ANTOINE GRIEZMANN’S TRANSITION FROM LA LIGA LEGEND TO ORLANDO CITY’S NEW DESIGNATED PLAYER
Antoine Griezmann signs with Orlando City as a Designated Player, joining MLS from Atletico Madrid this July 2026.
Antoine Griezmann, who won the World Cup with France, is heading to Orlando City this summer after finishing the season with Atletico Madrid. He’s the latest big name to make the jump to MLS, joining a growing roster of stars.
Griezmann flew to Orlando this week and sealed the deal, signing on as a designated player. His contract officially kicks off in July, once the league’s secondary transfer window opens, and he’s set to be among MLS’s top earners. The exact numbers haven’t come out yet. At 35, Griezmann’s contract takes him through the 2027-28 season, with the club holding an option for one more year. He’ll wear his signature No. 7 jersey, the same number he’s sported for both Atleti and France.
All this became official on Tuesday, after weeks of rumours about his move to Florida. Griezmann’s been open about wanting to play in the States late in his career. Now, he joins a list of global stars in MLS: Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, LAFC’s Son Heung-min, the Whitecaps’ Thomas Müller, and Minnesota’s James Rodríguez. Even his 2018 France teammate Hugo Lloris now plays in LA.
Leaving Atletico won’t be easy for Griezmann. He made his name there between 2014 and 2019, returned in 2021, and became a club legend. Over his two spells, he’s racked up 298 goals and 132 appearances in 792 games, tallying 14 goals and four assists just this season. He was Atleti’s top scorer during their run to the 2016 Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid on penalties. Two years later, he scored twice in the Europa League final to help Atletico clinch the trophy.
There’s still a shot for one last title with Atleti in the Copa del Rey final on April 18, where they face Real Sociedad. Plus, Atleti remain alive in the Champions League, with a big quarterfinal matchup against Barcelona coming up.
So, what’s Griezmann walking into with Orlando? Honestly, the club needs help. They’ve managed just one win in five matches to start the 2026 season, bleeding a league-high 17 goals and firing coach Oscar Pareja after a painful 5-0 defeat at NYCFC.
Interim coach Martin Perelman has his hands full trying to fix the defence, but Griezmann should provide a real boost up front. Orlando’s attack has stalled, producing only five goals and just under seven expected goals so far. Griezmann’s own scoring touch has faded a bit this season at Atletico; he’s beaten his expected goals average in only seven of his last 31 games, but MLS tends to favour attack-minded stars, so that could turn around.
What really stands out about Griezmann right now isn’t just his finishing. His passing has been excellent among the best in La Liga this year. He’s got an 84.2% passing accuracy in the league, averages over five progressive passes and nearly five passes into the final third per game, putting him in the 98th percentile for both. Plus, he’s averaging almost a quarter of an expected assist per match, also among Spain’s best this season.
For Orlando, the question is, who's going to help Griezmann carry the attack? The team might be heading toward a rebuild after dumping Pareja. Martin Ojeda is one bright spot; he scored 16 goals off nearly 12 expected goals last year. Duncan McGuire, a former U.S. youth international, is a regular, but his goal production has dropped off to just five league goals since his breakout 2024 season.
Griezmann’s signing brings global attention, but Orlando’s got a lot to figure out if they want to turn things around. Still, his arrival gives fans a reason to hope for something better.
ITALY RECORDS FIRST SQUAD CHANGE OF PLAY-OFFS AS CAMBIAGHI REPLACES FEDERICO CHIESA
Gennaro Gattuso calls up Nicolò Cambiaghi to replace Federico Chiesa as Italy face Northern Ireland on Thursday.
Federico Chiesa just dropped out of the Italy squad, days after finally getting his first call-up in almost two years. Gennaro Gattuso picked him for Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland, and possibly another match with Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina after that, depending on how things go.
But after joining up with the team, it looks like Chiesa won’t be playing for the Azzurri. He’s barely started for Liverpool this season, just five times, with only one in the Premier League. He’s struggled with the physical demands at Liverpool and hasn't been able to put in the minutes he used to.
The Italian FA put out a statement: "Federico Chiesa was assessed on arrival at the Federal Technical Centre and deemed unavailable for the next two matches. In agreement with his club, he has left the squad. Bologna winger Nicolò Cambiaghi has been called up as his replacement."
Earlier this year, Chiesa admitted the jump from Serie A to the Premier League was tough on him, and he told Gattuso he wouldn’t return to the Italy squad until he felt "100 per cent". Gattuso backed him up: "I must respect what the player tells me. I often talk to him. We have to respect the decisions and problems that each of us has.”
He hasn't played for Italy since joining Liverpool, with his last appearance for the national team at Euro 2024. Chiesa has 51 senior caps, and from 2018 to 2024, he was a fixture in the squad. He was huge for Italy during their Euro 2020 win, starting all seven games and scoring two big goals in the knockouts.
Italy, meanwhile, is aiming for a spot in its first World Cup since 2014. They’ll face Northern Ireland next, who just called up Liverpool youngster Kieran Morrison for his first senior cap. Italy finished second in qualifying behind Norway, and Gattuso took over from Luciano Spalletti midway through. Premier League names like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Riccardo Calafiori, and Sandro Tonali are all in the squad for these critical play-off matches.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
