Does Antoine Griezmann have your vote for 2026 MLS Newcomer of the Year?
The legendary French star made his latest case for the award on Saturday night, scoring and assisting as Orlando City beat Columbus Crew, 3-2, in dramatic fashion at Inter.co Stadium.
Since his MLS debut less than three months ago, the FIFA World Cup winner has led a terrific turnaround in Orlando, who have gone unbeaten in every game Griezmann has scored in (7W-0L-1D) across all competitions.
"I think this is one of the most important victories of the season," said forward Harvey Sarajian, who linked up with Griezmann to score the opener within a minute of his first MLS start.
"I think every game is a final now, so every game that we play is life or death in this league."
That mentality showed through when Iván Angulo struck in the 89th minute on the counterattack, netting in his third consecutive match to snatch a late game-winner in front of his home fans.
Guiding force
Courtesy of his exploits against Columbus, Griezmann has racked up an astonishing 9g/5a in 12 MLS appearances.
As with any great sportsman, Griezmann not only provides a positive impact via his direct contributions, but also improves those around him through his contagious energy both on and off the pitch.
In the absence of newly capped 19-year-old homegrown USMNT striker Justin Ellis, who has quickly formed a dynamic duo partnership with Griezmann, the Frenchman connected with the only other Orlando player he follows on Instagram, Sarajian.
"I have nothing but good things to say about Grizi," said Sarajian.
"His enthusiasm is top. His energy is top. Everyone feeds off his charismatic personality."
After posting a high school football picture of the 21-year-old winger to his Instagram page a few days ago, Griezmann set up Sarajian's opener before slotting home a free kick fifteen minutes later.
"I think it's awesome. I think it just shows Grizi's character in the locker room," said Sarajian.
"I remember waking up in the morning before training, see him on Instagram. I'm scrolling, I'm like, wait, that's me in high school! It brought a smile to my face, I'm not gonna lie."
Playoff push
From 13th in the Eastern Conference when Griezmann arrived to seventh place following Saturday's victory, Orlando have made a late-season surge into the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs picture.
Griezmann and the Lions will continue that postseason quest with a visit to Toronto FC on Wednesday night (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).
"Honestly, every game now, there's so much on the line right now. It's a marathon in the season and the marathon is gone. Now it's the final sprint," said goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who set a club record with 12 saves on the night.
"There's six more [games] to be in the best position possible for the playoffs, and we are well aware of this."
