Griezmann breaks silence on Atletico Madrid future amid Orlando City interest and Champions League ambitions
Antoine Griezmann has been heavily linked with Orlando City over recent weeks, with the MLS side pushing hard to sign him before the current transfer window closes. While also speaking to his ambitions in the UEFA Champions League, Griezmann has finally addressed his future at Atlético Madrid publicly.
With one Designated Player slot still available, Orlando City made a serious push for Griezmann, reportedly tabling an offer that would place him near Lionel Messi as one of the highest-paid players in MLS history. However, Atlético Madrid and particularly head coach Diego Simeone were reluctant to let one of their key figures walk out the door mid-season with the club’s ambitions still very much alive.
In a post-match interview with Movistar+ following Tuesday’s Champions League win over Tottenham, Griezmann was asked directly about his future, and his answer left little room for interpretation: “I feel very good here, I’m really enjoying myself, and what I’m doing on the pitch speaks for itself. We’ll see, but that’s the idea—to take this all the way to the end.“
When pressed on whether his goal was to see out the season through the Copa del Rey final on April 18 and go as deep as possible in the Champions League, Griezmann was equally emphatic. “That is my dream, my objective, and hopefully we can achieve something great,” he concluded.
The current MLS window is set to close on March 26, meaning any transfer would have required Griezmann to leave Atlético in the final stretch of a season with trophies still on the line. The Frenchman has now made his intentions clear, though that does not necessarily rule out a move later down the line.
As recently reported by Fabrizio Romano, Orlando City are prepared to wait and pursue Griezmann in the summer transfer window, targeting a move in July. Despite his contract with Atlético running through June 2027, the Lions could potentially land the French star on a free transfer, giving them the opportunity to add a world-class signing to their roster mid-2026 season.
How can Griezmann close his tenure at Atlético Madrid?
Now in his 10th season in Atlético colors, Griezmann has built a legacy at the club that speaks for itself. He sits as the all-time leading scorer in the club’s history with 210 goals, surpassing Luis Aragonés’ mark of 173, while also holding the records for most games played by a foreign player and most La Liga wins in the club’s history, currently standing at 310.
With that résumé behind him, Griezmann will want to sign off in the grandest fashion possible. In La Liga, Atlético are third with 54 points, well adrift of the title race between Barcelona (67) and Real Madrid (63), but there are more meaningful prizes within reach in other competitions.
The most immediate opportunity is the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad on April 18, and beyond that, the Champions League remains the biggest prize of all. The Colchoneros‘ commanding 5-2 win over Tottenham gives them a healthy three-goal cushion heading into the second leg, and a path to the quarterfinals where they would face the winner of Barcelona vs. Newcastle United.
While the road to the final remains a long one, Griezmann left Tuesday’s game brimming with confidence. “We capitalized on a few of their technical errors and the pitch conditions; it’s very slippery, but we’re used to it. We played a massive game. It’s a shame about those two goals, we’ll have to improve what we did in Barcelona, but we have a solid lead.” he stated after the game.