‘Wants to be back home’ - NYCFC confirm Christian Pulisic interest, Antoine Griezmann embraces Orlando challenge: Five takeaways from MLS’s ‘Next Chapter’ event

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for a considerable amount of time, Antoine Griezmann’s arrival in MLS should not come as a surprise. He has been linked with the league for nearly a decade and has made no secret of his love for American culture and sports. Yes, there have been some false dawns - most notably with LAFC - but on Thursday afternoon, he was at MLS headquarters discussing his decision to finally make the move.

“It’s always been a dream to finish my career here in the United States, and I wanted to be here in peak physical and mental condition,” he said.

Griezmann is coming off a season in which he recorded seven goals and four assists in La Liga and helped lead Atlético Madrid to the Copa del Rey final before they were stunned by Pellegrino Matarazzo’s Real Sociedad. The France and Atlético icon acknowledged that Orlando’s ownership and front office were persuasive in their pitch.

“After I met with Mark Wilf [owner] and Ricardo Moreira [sporting director], I fell in love with the club philosophy, and my wife fell in love with the city,” he said. “Then we thought it was the perfect time to move and make it happen.”

He also spoke enthusiastically about MLS and the future of soccer in the United States following the 2026 World Cup.

“The competition, the quality of the players arriving here is always improving, [and] the level of the matches has been growing for years,” he said. “There are a lot of young players coming from MLS to Europe and world-class players who are coming here to play.

“This is great for our league. The World Cup is also helping to inspire American kids to enjoy football and start kicking the ball, and hopefully we can make spectacular plays inside the stadium to continue to inspire them to play.”

Earlier this month, NYCFC were reported to be seriously pursuing Christian Pulisic, although AC Milan’s reluctance to part with the American star remains a significant barrier. With the 27-year-old entering the final year of his contract, NYCFC could either attempt to negotiate a reduced transfer fee or wait until January, when Pulisic would be eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club.

NYCFC confirmed their interest Thursday and did not shy away from the possibility of signing one of the biggest names in American soccer to help usher in the Etihad Park era. The club announced that its new stadium will open July 17, 2027.

“I would say we’re interested in the highest-quality players that we can get,” NYCFC CEO Brad Sims said. “A player like Christian Pulisic, we think, would be great in the U.S., great in MLS and, of course, great in New York City for sure.”

NYCFC defender Kevin O’Toole, who recently signed a contract extension with the club, agreed.

“He’s a player of such quality, and whenever your club is linked with a player like that, you’d welcome them with open arms,” O’Toole told GOAL. “I think you could especially see him in our system as well. We like to play with tricky wingers. He’s a guy who has an engine and likes to work hard. If that would become a reality, it would be tremendous for the club, and it would coincide with the stadium arrival as well.”

Sims said NYCFC are raising their level of ambition as they look to capitalize on the momentum generated by the World Cup and their forthcoming $780 million stadium.

“I don’t see any reason why any player that has already bought into [coming to] MLS would not be into New York City, especially with everything we have going on and building what we believe is going to be the preeminent facility for the sport in this country,” he said. “The thing that’s missing is probably that flagship player.”

Sims stressed, however, that NYCFC are not simply looking for a recognizable name who can fill billboards. The club’s preference is to target players approaching or entering their prime. He pointed to the recent signing of Bénie Traoré as an example of a player with significant room to develop, while emphasizing NYCFC’s desire to maximize all three Designated Player slots and add an established star in his prime.

“Ultimately, if you have three DPs ... past prime is not as exciting to us - unless it’s somebody who can still come in and contribute on the pitch and be great off the pitch,” Sims said.

He also acknowledged that significant obstacles remain before NYCFC could complete any move for Pulisic.

“If you ask any of my 29 counterparts across the league if they’d be interested in having Christian Pulisic on the team, I’m pretty sure you’d get 29 [other] yeses,” Sims said. “We’d love to have him, yes. Would any other team in MLS love to have him? I’m sure. ... But to get that done, AC Milan doesn’t want to give him up, so then that means it’s dead in the water [for now].

“Ultimately, we’re believers that Christian is going to want to play [here], wants to play in MLS, wants to be back home. Whatever point that is, we would think and hope that New York City FC would be very high on his list of teams that he would want to play for.”

Before the USMNT’s final game against Belgium, Matt Freese had emerged as an unexpected bright spot, impressing throughout the team’s opening four matches. It all came crashing down for the goalkeeper in the round of 16, however, when his costly mistake gifted Belgium a back-breaking third goal.

O’Toole, a close friend of Freese who chronicled their relationship for GOAL in 2025, believes his NYCFC teammate will bounce back.

“The reality is he had an incredible tournament,” O’Toole said. “I think he’s now the winningest goalkeeper in U.S. history. He’s got the most shutouts. I don’t think one moment can define any player’s legacy, really. I think he played many flawless minutes in the World Cup. And he’s the type of person who will reflect on a few certain moments, and he’ll come back stronger.

“I can guarantee that.”

Freese’s three World Cup victories are the most by a USMNT goalkeeper, while his two clean sheets are tied for the national record.

Garber was largely congratulatory about MLS’ progress Thursday rather than offering specifics about its future. However, he indicated that further changes could be announced by the end of the season. While MLS unveiled its move to a summer-to-spring calendar in November, the league also said it remained open to evaluating its broader competition structure.

“We have this program, MLS 3.0, which is about a new calendar and stadiums coming in, new roster rules, [a] new competition format,” Garber said. “All of that, by the end of the season, is going to get announced. ... I think it speaks to MLS. What other league is sitting there and thinking about, ‘How do I change our structure?’ That’s the MLS way.

“We constantly have to edit and capitalize on what the World Cup has been. The World Cup has shown people love the game as it is. Perhaps we need to get a bit closer to that.”

Tim Ream is not ready to hang up his boots. His contract with Charlotte FC includes an option for 2027, and the 39-year-old remains open to representing the USMNT for as long as he continues playing at club level.

Ream acknowledged that the decision is not entirely his, but he has no intention of retiring from international soccer before ending his playing career altogether.

“[I’m] 39, so I can’t see that there’s too much left,” Ream said. “I’m still going to keep playing, but again, it’s not up to me. I’ve maintained for a long time that I won’t retire from the national team until I retire.

“And that’s not because I think I should still be there, or other people do. It’s just one of those things where I don’t want to throw in the hat until I throw in the whole hat.”