Lion Links: 6/25/26

How’s it going, Mane Landers? We’ve reached the part of the World Cup when multiple matches are on at the same time, allowing us to revel in being overwhelmed by soccer. It’s been a fun tournament so far, and I’m hoping we get some dramatic finishes as teams try to make the knockout stage. While we wait for today’s action, let’s get to the links!

Antoine Griezmann Arrives in Orlando

After officially signing with Orlando City in March, French star Antoine Griezmann has landed in the City Beautiful. He’s one of the biggest signings in the club’s history and brings plenty of talent and grit to Orlando City ahead of the rest of the season. In a fantastic video shared by the club to introduce him, Griezmann detailed his remarkable soccer journey up to this point in his career. I highly recommend watching it and am incredibly excited for what’s in store for him as a Lion.

Speaking of videos about Griezmann, Atletico Madrid said goodbye and wished the club legend well with a slightly different kind of short film. Atleti should give a raise to whoever made this sendoff for Griezmann that’s equal parts funny and heartfelt.

Caleb Trombino Named to MLS NEXT All-Star Roster

Midfielder Caleb Trombino was the lone player from Orlando City’s academy to be named to the Eastern Conference’s roster for the 2026 MLS NEXT All-Star Game. The 16-year-old scored six goals during last MLS NEXT season and has also made nine appearances for Orlando City B this season. Trombino will be the latest Lion to feature in the event, with Gustavo Caraballo and Dylan Judelson competing in it last year. The game is set to take place on July 27 in North Carolina and will be streamed on the MLS website and YouTube channel.

USMNT Takes On Turkiye Tonight

The United States Men’s National Team will look to make it three straight wins in the group stage when it plays Turkiye tonight in Los Angeles. The Yanks have already won the group after wins against Paraguay and Australia, and a few players have yellow card accumulation concerns, so it will be interesting to see what lineup Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino chooses for this match. Turkiye has already been eliminated and is still searching for its first goal of the tournament. While there’s technically not much to play for in this game, Christian Pulisic spoke on the value of maintaining momentum before the next round.

“When you win your last game, you go into the next one with a little bit extra, a good feeling,” Pulisic said. “That winning mentality feeling sticks with you. You want it for sure going into the knockout rounds.

“We’ll definitely feel better with a win. That’s why we’re going to push for it. It’s an amazing opportunity. Like you said, we don’t necessarily need a win, but it’s a World Cup game, and we all want to give our best and do well.”

Maxime Crepeau and Canada Advance in World Cup

Canada needed a draw or better against Switzerland to win its group at this year’s World Cup, but came up short in a 2-1 defeat. Despite the loss, Canada secured a spot in the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time in program history. Orlando City goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had a pair of saves in the match, including a nice one at close range to deny Breel Embolo early in the game. Finishing second in the group means Canada will play the remainder of its games in the U.S. instead of Canada.

As for the other Group B matchup, Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar 3-1 to claim third and is in a good position to advance. In Group C, Vinicius Junior had a brace in Brazil’s 3-0 victory over Scotland to win the group while Morocco won 4-2 against Haiti after a back-and-forth first half. Haiti may have been eliminated, but it made history by scoring and Wilson Isidor scored one of the best goals of the tournament so far.

In the late matches, Mexico made it three wins out of three by defeating Chechia 3-0, while South Africa scored in the second half to edge Korea Republic 1-0. Mexico and South Africa are through to the knockouts, while South Korea will need to sweat out the third-place results.

NWSL Updates Its Competition Rules

The NWSL announced changes to its competition rules and regulations that will take effect starting with this weekend’s NWSL Challenge Cup. One of the more notable changes is the adoption of the rule that may require a player to come off the field for a minute if medical personnel are needed to treat them. Players must also now leave the field within 10 seconds when substituted off, or else the player coming on will need to wait to come on. Changes to the duration of hydration breaks were also made, along with updates to the fan code of conduct that extends it into digital spaces.

Free Kicks

• Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda’s frontrunning pace for the NWSL Golden Boot is one of many notable storylines so far this NWSL season.
• The LA Galaxy have reportedly rejected an $8 million bid from Cruzeiro in Brazil for attacker Gabriel Pec. It’s a pretty low offer considering the 25-year-old has recorded 43 goals and 28 assists in 101 appearances since joining the Galaxy.

• Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo was suspended for five games for the serious foul play that resulted in Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone’s broken leg.
• Ronaldinho retired from professional soccer over a decade ago but has now signed with Revanna in Italy’s Serie C at age 46.

That’s all I have for you this time around. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday and rest of your week!