Lion Links: 3/27/26

Happy Friday, Mane Landers! Hopefully the week hasn’t been too had on you as we get ready to shift gears for a weekend filled with soccer. I don’t have many plans this weekend beyond giving my cat a bath and treating the thousand cuts likely to ensue from doing so. But for now, let’s jump right into today’s links from around the soccer world!

Antoine Griezmann’s Journey to Orlando

Star attacker Antoine Griezmann sat down with Miguel Gallardo for an interview discussing his choice to sign with Orlando City. The Frenchman spoke on how he’s wanted to play in MLS for some time and how General Manager and Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira came to Madrid to convince him to join what the club was building. The passion from Orlando City supporters was also a draw for him to sign with the club. He detailed how he’s excited to not only help the team lift trophies but to help the younger players on the team improve both on and off the field. It’s still a bit surreal that he’s a Lion, and I can’t wait to see him purple this summer.

Takeaways From Orlando Pride Road Win

The Orlando Pride won their first game of the 2026 season in convincing fashion, shutting out the Chicago Stars 3-0 on the road. Orlando’s stars shined bright, as Barbra Banda scored for the third straight game and Jacquie Ovalle scored off of a slick back heel and added an assist. It was also a night of firsts for a couple of Pride players. Hannah Anderson scored her first professional goal, doing so against her former team, while Solai Washington and Ally Lemos recorded their first professional assists. The Pride will aim to carry this momentum into another road match against Gotham FC on Sunday.

Analyzing Belgium Ahead of U.S. Friendly

The United States Men’s National Team will play against Belgium on Saturday in the first of two friendlies this month. The last time these two nations played each other was in the 2014 FIFA World Cup’s round of 16 when Belgium won 2-1 in extra time. Romelu Lukaku scored the winner in that match but won’t be available for this friendly. Belgium still has a solid attacking group that includes Jeremy Doku, Youri Tielemans, and Kevin De Bruyne. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is out due to injury, but Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels likely won’t make it easy for the Yanks to find the back of the net. Following Saturday’s match, the USMNT will take on Portugal in another friendly on Tuesday as World Cup preparation continues.

UEFA World Cup Qualifying Playoff Roundup

Italy passed its first test in the UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs by beating North Ireland 2-0 and it’s now one win away from qualifying. The Azzurri next take on Bosnia and Herzegovina, which advanced past Wales in a penalty shootout after 40-year-old striker Edin Dzeko scored a late equalizer to force extra time. A similar scenario played out in Prague, as Czechia leveled things late and won the penalty shootout against Ireland.

Elsewhere, Viktor Gyokeres had a hat trick in Sweden’s 3-0 win over Ukraine, Denmark shut out North Macedonia 4-0, and Robert Lewandowski scored in Poland’s 2-1 comeback win against Albania. Kosovo beat Slovakia 4-3 in a rollercoaster of a match, while Turkey beat Romania 1-0. The winner between Turkey and Kosovo on Tuesday will join the same group as the United States at the World Cup.

Free Kicks

• Orlando City winger Marco Pasalic had an assist off of a corner kick in Croatia’s friendly win against Colombia at Camping World Stadium.

• Former Lion Jordan Bender has signed with the Sarasota Paradise in USL League One, returning to Florida after playing abroad for the past few years.
• Speaking of familiar faces in new places, former Orlando Pride player Mikayla Cluff was hired as the director of player development for BYU’s women’s soccer program.
• Bay FC signed midfielder Claire Hutton to a new contract that will last through the 2030 season. Hutton joined Bay FC through a trade in February, with Bay FC sending $1.1 million in transfer funds to the Kansas City Current.
• The New York Red Bulls signed 20-year-old defender Julian Bazan from Deportivo Pereira in Colombia’s top flight for an undisclosed fee. He will be an MLS U22 Initiative player.
• Suriname took the lead but couldn’t hold on to it in a 2-1 loss to Bolivia in the intercontinental playoffs for World Cup qualification.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and rest of your weekend!