Lion Links: 2/9/26

Hello, Mane Landers! I hope all is well with you in Florida. I’ve been busy at work and will be covering some high school playoff basketball action later this week. We are less than two weeks away from Orlando City’s home opener against Red Bull New York. We’ve got plenty to cover today, so let’s get to the links.

Lions Draw Nashville SC In Preseason Scrimmage

Orlando City picked up a 2-2 draw against Nashville SC in a preseason match at West Palm Beach, FL. The match was a closed-door scrimmage, and it was scoreless through halftime. In the second half, Hany Mukhtar scored the opening goal for Nashville. Martin Ojeda equalized for the Lions before Nashville added another goal to take the lead. After 90 minutes, the two sides played an extra 30 minutes, and Yutaro Tsukada set up Tiago, who buried the equalizer for the Lions. The next scheduled preseason match for Orlando will be another closed-door scrimmage Wednesday on the road against FC Cincinnati.

Orlando City Announces Iago Signing

On Saturday, Orlando City announced the signing of Brazilian defender Iago from CR Flamengo. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but online reports have stated the club will only receive 50% of a sell-on from the transfer move. Iago is signed through the 2028-2029 season on an MLS U22 Initiative contract. The 20-year-old Brazilian youth international came up through Flamengo’s academy and joined the U-20 side in 2022. He made his first-team debut in January 2024, has combined for 68 appearances, scored 14 goals, and logged more than 5,000 minutes across Flamengo’s senior and U-20 teams across all competitions. Iago also has 13 caps with Brazil’s U-20 team, scoring three goals, and captained the side during the FIFA U-20 World Cup last year. Iago is young and athletic and will likely be on the back line at the start of the season, with Robin Jansson sidelined with a foot injury.

Orlando City Announces 2026 Theme Nights Schedule

Orlando City announced its promotional theme night schedule for the 2026 season. There will be 11 featured theme nights this season, including returning traditions, community‑focused recognitions, culturally significant nights, and more. The club introduces two distinct categories for its theme nights in 2026, Jewel Nights and Celebration Nights. Some notable theme nights include a Kids’ Night on April 18, which coincides with the club mascot Kingston’s birthday. May 15 will be Lions Go Global Night, when Orlando City will recognize its players departing for international duty for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Noche Latina Night returns Oct. 10, Pride in Our City Night is Oct. 17, Military Appreciation Night is Oct. 24, and the final theme night event is Fan Appreciation Night on Nov. 7.

MLS Transfer News Roundup

Minnesota United officially announced the signing of Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez on Friday. The 34-year-old joins Minnesota on a short-term deal through June 2026, with a club option to extend through the end of the year. LAFC has acquired midfielder Stephen Eustaquio on loan from FC Porto. The 29-year-old Canadian international will be at the club through June 2026, and his contract includes a purchase option. LAFC sent the San Jose Earthquakes $50,000 in 2026 General Allocation Money for Eustaquio’s discovery rights. CF Montreal has signed goalkeeper Samsy Keita to a Homegrown contract through the 2028-2029 season with option years through 2030-2031. Lastly, Chivas is reportedly finalizing a deal to sign Jonny Perez from Nashville SC.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City posted on social media a photo of the club’s three Brazilian MLS U22 Initiative signings, Iago, Luis Otavio, and Tiago.

• The Orlando Pride are locked in and focused during preseason training camp at IMG Academy.

• Former Lions midfielder Jeorgio Kocevski has signed a contract to join USL Championship side FC Tulsa for the upcoming 2026 season.
• FC Barcelona announced over the weekend that the club has officially withdrawn from the European Super League project.
• Concacaf announced its competition calendar for the next four years, leading up to the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The Nations League will kick off this fall, while the Gold Cup will begin in June 2027. The first round of World Cup qualifying starts in September 2027.
• Alyssa Thompson scored her seventh goal across all competitions as Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Sunday.
• FC Supra du Quebec, which will make its debut in the Canadian Premier League in April, will field only players born or raised in the province.
• Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo announced over the weekend that he has joined the Chelsea Women’s ownership group.

That will do it for me today, Mane Landers. Enjoy your Monday, and I’ll see you next time.