Orlando City SC forward Antoine Griezmann earned MLS Player of the Matchday honors presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 22 after scoring both goals in the Lions’ 2-1 comeback victory against Real Salt Lake at Inter.co Stadium on August 22, 2026.
This performance marked Griezmann’s first brace in Major League Soccer. He equalized in the 53rd minute by capitalizing on a deflected ball in the six-yard box and then netted the game-winning goal nine minutes before full-time, navigating through multiple defenders to seal the win.
Since joining Orlando City SC from Atlético Madrid, Griezmann has appeared in six regular-season matches, starting and playing every minute for a total of 540 minutes. He has accumulated three goals and two assists while helping Orlando City to a 3-2-1 record, with all games played against current Audi MLS Cup Playoffs teams.
Before Griezmann joined, Orlando City SC held 14 points and occupied 12th place outside the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. The victory over Real Salt Lake propelled the team into ninth place, securing a postseason position.
Griezmann is the second Orlando City SC player to win MLS Player of the Matchday this season after Martín Ojeda in Matchday 11. He is also the eighth former FIFA World Cup winner to receive this accolade in MLS, joining the ranks of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Thiago Almada, Youri Djorkaeff, Kaká, and Thomas Müller.
Orlando City SC will continue their campaign on August 29, facing Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Source: Original report