Welcome, Bienvenido, Bienvenue: Orlando City officially introduces Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann could not have asked for a better start to his Orlando City SC career.

Less than 24 hours after fans welcomed the French superstar at his official introduction at Full Sail Live on July 7, a fitting date for the Club's new No. 7, Griezmann delivered a performance supporters were hoping for at Inter&Co Stadium. Wearing Orlando City's colors for the first time, he scored a goal and added an assist in just over 60 minutes as the Lions defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies 6-0 in a Season Ticket Member exclusive friendly on July 8.

The performance capped a memorable first 48 hours in purple. Nearly 11 years after Orlando City introduced Kaká as the Club's first Designated Player, the Lions once again welcomed a global soccer icon to the City Beautiful. Griezmann's debut only added to the excitement surrounding his arrival.

Naturally, the first goal came from the man himself. Weaving through the defense in the 32nd minute, Griezmann finished across the face of goal on the North end of Inter&Co Stadium, celebrating in front of The Wall and the supporters who had welcomed him with open arms the night before.

Just for good measure, moments before leaving the match, he pressured the Rowdies' goalkeeper into a turnover before setting up Iván Angulo for Orlando City's third goal. It was exactly the type of debut fans had hoped for. Le Petit Prince had officially arrived in purple.

Before he stepped foot on the pitch on Wednesday, Griezmann was officially introduced to fans, media, and local dignitaries in a celebration befitting one of the game's biggest stars.

Behind the scenes, preparations had been underway for weeks. A special video featuring a purple-haired Griezmann was filmed at Inter&Co Stadium on a custom-built barbershop set positioned at midfield. The video premiered during the event, while the set itself was recreated in the back corner of the venue, giving fans the opportunity to step inside and take photos.

Prior to entering the venue, fans were welcomed by a mobile Den stocked with Griezmann merchandise. Inside, they found hundreds of seats facing a stage outfitted with dynamic lighting, smoke effects, and multiple video boards, setting the scene for the club's newest star to make his first appearance.

As the crowd settled down, Gabby Amado, who served as the host for the Welcome Event, greeted everyone attending. General Manager & Sporting Director Ricardo Moreira and Club Owner & Chairman Mark Wilf then joined her on stage to speak about the historic signing for the Lions.

"A signing like this doesn't happen by chance," Moreira told the crowd. "It happened with a couple of trips to Madrid. Antoine's family and himself opened the doors of their house to myself, and I got to live a little with the Griezmann family there in Madrid, I think the human connection was right there, and from that moment on, I knew I was certain that at some point we were going to get him signed. 

"He's a guy that helps us in the locker room with his training habits, with his experience, with his hunger for trophies and his passion for soccer," he said. "We worked together, Mark, myself, our business operations, to make a signing like this happen."

"The first reaction, the emotion, is excitement. To have a player of that quality, a world superstar like Antoine, to have the thought to come here," Wilf added. "We want to have a championship-caliber, first-class Club, and with this signing, we really are where we need to be. We keep pushing and pushing.

"We're showing we're a world-class soccer market and a soccer club, and this puts us on the map in a unique way. And so, again, having Antoine here is just so exciting that way. At the same time, it shows the kind of destination Orlando is. The city, the fan base, the support, our front office, the entire city, our sponsors, all the support that makes it what it is, is showing that we're a world-class destination, where a player, world-caliber, like Antoine, wants to come to Orlando. So that's a really big statement about our Club, about the city, and I just can't wait for this to get going."

It was then time to introduce the man himself. As the lights dimmed, the aforementioned barbershop video played for all those in attendance to see, with Griezmann showing off his dyed purple hair. It received a very vocal reaction from the Supporters' groups, the Ruckus and Iron Lion Firm, in attendance, just as Antoine stepped onto the stage to greet the masses. With a highlight reel of his best moments playing as smoke billowed up from the stage, Le Petit Prince was officially welcomed to Orlando.

From there, Amado sat with Griezmann on stage for a chat, starting with his first July 4th weekend he'd just spent in his new city.

"Yes, we did a bit of fireworks with the kids, but nervously, because of the neighbors, we didn't want to make too much noise," Griezmann said through translation. "Honestly, really happy, and besides, it's something curious for me, being able to go to the supermarket and have nobody recognize me, I feel calm. So, that's a part I'm enjoying quite a bit too."

Griezmann spent the next few minutes touching on Ricardo's visit with him that got this entire process started.

"Ricardo came, and just the fact that he came all the way to Madrid, to my house, already touched my heart, and it was a really good conversation," he said. "Someone who gives everything for his Club, who works every day, who always gives 100 percent, and is so humble, it was a huge surprise for me. And I think that's where it started, after that conversation, getting to know him, my affection for Orlando grew from there, and the desire to come. And then the next day, I told my sister to do everything she could to get me there, for us to go there."

"In the end, when I had the conversation with Ricardo, I told [my wife], 'Go check out what you think of the city, the schools that are nearby,' and you'd tell me how it went. She came back with a smile, and so I said, 'That's it, now we have our city, our club.'"

Now that he's spent the last week with the team, he already feels right at home.

"The group is fantastic. Players with a lot of quality, with a lot of heart," Griezmann said. "They've welcomed me incredibly, and I already feel at home. It feels like I've been here for months in the locker room, and that's thanks to them."

Finally, Amado asked about the fans and his message to them.

"That they keep doing what they've been doing for years, which is pushing the team forward. That goal chant is incredible; I love it. Hopefully I can score a lot of goals on that side of the stadium so we can enjoy it together, that they keep being a nightmare for the opponent, a huge support for us, and that surely, if we all go hand in hand, we're going to win a trophy."

Griezmann's first week in purple could hardly have gone better. A welcome fitting for a global star on 7/7, followed by a friendly debut that produced a goal and an assist, gave Orlando City supporters an early glimpse of what they hope is the beginning of a special chapter in Club history.