Antoine Griezmann will bring the curtain down on his Atlético Madrid career at the end of the season, with Orlando City SC confirming Tuesday that the French forward will join them on a two-year deal.
The club’s all-time leading scorer becomes the latest high-profile name to head to Major League Soccer, adding experience and star power to the Florida side.
Atletico said Griezmann used a short break from first-team duties to travel to Orlando to finalize the move, securing his next chapter while remaining fully committed to his current one.
Now 35, Griezmann is focused on closing out his decade-long spell in Madrid on a high, targeting a second major trophy after lifting the UEFA Europa League in 2018.
"Let’s leave the future in the future for now, because I’m not leaving yet,” he wrote on Instagram. "I still have months in this shirt, months to give everything, at home and away, to lift the Copa del Rey and to go as far as possible in the Champions League.”
Atlético’s run-in offers no shortage of stakes, with a Champions League quarterfinal against FC Barcelona looming next month, followed by a Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad in Seville on April 18.
Griezmann, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, retired from international football in 2024 after scoring 44 goals in 137 appearances for the national team.
He has scored 211 goals for Atlético, surpassing the previous record of 173 set by Luis Aragones.
Griezmann joined Atlético in 2014 from Real Sociedad and has made 488 appearances for the club. He left for FC Barcelona in 2019 before returning two years later, initially on loan.
Griezmann has scored 13 goals in 43 appearances for coach Diego Simeone’s Atlético this season.
MLS will add Griezmann to the list of well-known players who have made the switch from Europe in recent seasons, including his former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
"He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club,” Orlando City owner Mark Wilf said.
"Our focus is on consistently building a championship-caliber roster every year, and adding a world-class player like Antoine reinforces that commitment and our belief in what the club can achieve.”
Orlando, which has played in MLS since 2015, has never won the MLS Cup and has lost four of its first five games of the 2026 season.
Atlético sit fourth in La Liga this term and are well placed to qualify for next season’s Champions League, holding a 13-point lead over fifth-placed Real Betis.
Griezmann will make his move to Orlando in July.