{"id":31448,"date":"2026-04-24T15:48:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T15:48:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T15:48:40","slug":"beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"ue-c-article--first-letter-highlighted\"><span class=\"capital-letter\">T<\/span>Antoine Griezmann&#8217;s arrival at Orlando City has already become an MLS event. This was revealed by MLS Director of Competition Alfonso Mondello in a conversation with some international media, including MARCA. Coach Alfonso evaluated the French player&#8217;s decision to come to the United States this summer, saying, &#8220;Antoine was scheduled to come to Orlando in March, but he asked me to stay at Atletico until the summer for the Copa and Champions League.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>His deal with Orlando has nothing to do with setting up a &#8220;derby&#8221; with Messi&#8217;s Inter Miami (Orlando and Miami are close together and in the same state of Florida). The club have been looking for Griezmann for some time and both clubs are happy with the deal.<\/p>\n<p>In a conversation with MARCA, MLS, through one of its top executives, emphasized the fact that the U.S. league is a gateway to the next World Cup, which will be held in this country, Mexico and Canada. MLS highlights its unique development with an average of 22,000 spectators per game. There are nearly 50 MLS players who will play in the World Cup. The 2027 MLS reform will then be adapted to the European calendar (the season will run from July 2027 to June 2028).<\/p>\n<p>We asked Mondello about how MLS is preparing for the post-Messi era. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to find players like him, but this league has already bounced back with players like Cruyff and Pele&#8230;and I&#8217;m sure MLS will find new stars to play here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I also had the opportunity to speak with Marcelo Balboa, who played for the United States at the World Cup and is now an MLS legend. &#8220;If I had to choose two players to sign with our league tomorrow, it would be Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbapp\u00e9. They are two of the most talented stars that will open the eyes of American soccer officials.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Regarding MLS&#8217;s aspirations for the future, manager Alfonso Mondello said, &#8220;We want to be one of the great leagues in the world in a few years, but first we want to be the best in the Concaf region. We have a big brother there, Liga MX, and we want to compete on equal terms.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marca.com\/en\/football\/mls\/2026\/04\/24\/69eb609bca47414d228b45b3.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TAntoine Griezmann&#8217;s arrival at Orlando City has already become an MLS event. This was revealed by MLS Director of Competition Alfonso Mondello in a conversation with some international media, including MARCA. Coach Alfonso evaluated the French player&#8217;s decision to come to the United States this summer, saying, &#8220;Antoine was scheduled to come to Orlando in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-31448","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-latest"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"TAntoine Griezmann&#8217;s arrival at Orlando City has already become an MLS event. This was revealed by MLS Director of Competition Alfonso Mondello in a conversation with some international media, including MARCA. Coach Alfonso evaluated the French player&#8217;s decision to come to the United States this summer, saying, &#8220;Antoine was scheduled to come to Orlando in\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-24T15:48:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin_ok9yktt6\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin_ok9yktt6\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/\",\"name\":\"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/17770340614800.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-24T15:48:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/17770340614800.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/17770340614800.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/\",\"name\":\"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates\",\"description\":\"EPL VIP is your ultimate source for all things related to the English Premier League. Get the latest EPL news, live match updates, transfer rumors, team analysis, fixtures, and exclusive insights for true football fans.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9\",\"name\":\"admin_ok9yktt6\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin_ok9yktt6\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/author\/admin_ok9yktt6\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates","og_description":"TAntoine Griezmann&#8217;s arrival at Orlando City has already become an MLS event. This was revealed by MLS Director of Competition Alfonso Mondello in a conversation with some international media, including MARCA. Coach Alfonso evaluated the French player&#8217;s decision to come to the United States this summer, saying, &#8220;Antoine was scheduled to come to Orlando in","og_url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/","og_site_name":"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates","article_published_time":"2026-04-24T15:48:40+00:00","author":"admin_ok9yktt6","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin_ok9yktt6","Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/","url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/","name":"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition - EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/17770340614800.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-24T15:48:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/17770340614800.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/17770340614800.jpg","width":1200,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/24\/beyond-the-messi-rivalry-lafc-reveals-strategic-move-behind-griezmann-acquisition\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Beyond the Messi rivalry: LAFC reveals strategic move behind Griezmann acquisition"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/","name":"EPL VIP \u2013 Latest English Premier League News &amp; Updates","description":"EPL VIP is your ultimate source for all things related to the English Premier League. Get the latest EPL news, live match updates, transfer rumors, team analysis, fixtures, and exclusive insights for true football fans.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6b2ade58a96ab056f743f12490573ae9","name":"admin_ok9yktt6","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3caa6e0fae133a2d8ebe213abde6eafe85769664d063c8ab6c7960c877d904ea?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin_ok9yktt6"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/eplvip.com"],"url":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/author\/admin_ok9yktt6\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31448"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31448\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}