Orlando City’s Latest MLS Defeat Raises Alarm Bells in Florida
By Space Coast Daily // March 16, 2026
Orlando City’s bruising 5-0 defeat against New York City at Yankee Stadium on Saturday extended their woeful start to the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign.
The Lions have failed to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents this season, losing three consecutive games to drop to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
The bookmakers featured on the bettingtop10.com comparison platform now rate them as 41.00 to shots to win the MLS title this season.
However, sports bettors may feel those odds represent value given that Orlando have recently been linked with Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann.
With that in mind, read on as we assess where Orlando may be heading this season following their dreadful start to the campaign.
Orlanda Suffering a Hangover from Last Season
Orlando narrowly missed out on an automatic qualification play-off spot last term, finishing just one point behind Nashville SC and Columbus Crew and three adrift of New York in fifth.
They subsequently suffered a 3-1 defeat against Chicago at Soldier Field in the Wild Card Round, ending their hopes of making a deep run in the post-season shoot-out.
Orlando did not have a productive pre-season, winning just one of four games. They have carried their poor form into the new campaign.
City kicked things off with a 2-1 defeat against New York Red Bulls. The result flattered Orlando, with Tiago Souza snatching a consolation goal in the last minute.
Orlando put up a better fight against reigning champions Inter Miami, establishing a two-goal cushion at half-time through Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda.
However, a masterclass second-half performance from Telasco Segovia and Lionel Messi helped Javier Mascherano’s side secure a 4-2 victory.
The most recent defeat against New York was even more crushing, with Pareja’s side suffering a 5-0 thrashing after Maxime Crepeau’s moment of madness reduced Orlando to ten men.
Antoine Griezmann Links Raise Orlando’s Hopes
Orlando fans have not had much to cheer about this term, but rumours linking Griezmann with a move to Florida have left fans hoping for better days.
However, those expectations may have been premature with Atletico reportedly having no intention of losing Griezmann anytime soon.
The 34-year-old has one year left on his contract with Atletico, but Orlando were keen to snap him up at the earliest opportunity.
Negotiations reached an advanced stage, with Orlando sporting director and general manager Ricardo Moreira travelling to Spain several times to work on the potential deal.
Orlando were one of four MLS clubs who were keen to secure Griezmann’s services, although they have first claim at signing him as they hold his discovery rights.
However, Atletico’s football director Mateu Alemany has shut down speculation about Griezmann’s future, claiming that he will remain at the Spanish club.
Orlando have already accepted defeat at this stage but will revisit the deal in the summer. That means they must look elsewhere for the kind of firepower that could revive their campaign.
Orlanda Need to Lower Their Sights
Orlando will struggle to lure top European players away from their respective clubs, particularly at this stage of the season.
Their next best option may be to explore the free agent market, and there are a couple of intriguing options who could revive their careers in North America.
They include former Liverpool and AC Milan star Divock Origi. The Belgian striker will be keen to revive his career, and may still have a couple of decent years left in him.
Once considered a cult hero at Liverpool, the 2018/19 Champions League winner’s fall from grace has been one of European football’s headline disasters.
Orlando could capitalise on his situation and may even be able to get him back to his goalscoring best in the calmer waters of MLS.
The Lions could reunite Origi with ex-Liverpool teammate, Philippe Coutinho, who is in a similar situation. Coutinho has been a free agent since ending his second spell with Vasco da Gama.
A move to Orlando may be what the Brazilian needs to get his once promising career back on track.
