(Credit: Orlando City SC)
Yesterday, Orlando City SC supporters learned when each of their thirty-four 2026 Major League Soccer regular season fixtures will be played.
Now that our full MLS regular season schedule is out, away days can be planned, rivalry games can be circled, and Lions supporters can now start mapping out Orlando City SC’s quest to reach the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. Continue reading
After César Araújo announced his departure via social media on Friday, Orlando City SC officially confirmed today that the midfielder is leaving the club after his contract expired. Known for his tireless energy, tough tackling, and mastery of the dark arts, Araújo is a difficult asset to replace this off-season.
César Araújo departs after four successful seasons at Inter&Co Stadium. Making 152 appearances across all competitions, Araújo helped City win the U.S. Open Cup in 2022. Despite being a ‘walking yellow card’, Araújo and Wilder Cartagena formed one of the strongest midfield partnerships in MLS. A dynamic duo that is now broken, they were instrumental in our rise under Oscar Pareja. Continue reading
Today, we’re celebrating our 10th birthday at Orlando City UK, with our Official International Fan Club of Orlando City SC established a whole decade ago 😮 – time flies!
After back-to-back top-four finishes in 2023 and 2024, this season has been a big step backwards – plain and simple!
A strange season that quickly swung from hope to heartbreak, our loyal UK supporters watched all the action live on Apple TV. Continue reading
⚠️ Warning: this blog comes with a disclaimer. ⚠️ Before you read any further, be warned – there’s a high probability you might upset yourself again as we delve into Orlando City SC’s 3-1 defeat at Chicago Fire in the 2025 MLS Wild Card match. Maybe, like me, you were already resigned to defeat – a feeling so alien in the Oscar Pareja era. How quickly times have changed! But it’s time for a final word on 2025 – a strange season that promised so much but ultimately delivered so little. When you rely on the same tactics, you often get the same results, and many supporters are now ready to call time on Pareja’s six years in purple.
I didn’t watch the game live – which is unlike me for such a pivotal game – but when I caught the eight-minute MLS highlights this morning, all I saw was wave after wave of Chicago Fire attacks. With last night’s win, Fire sealed their FIRST MLS Cup Playoffs appearance since 2017 – EIGHT years ago! While Alex Freeman, Martín Ojeda, and Marco Pašalić can hold their heads high this year, their individual contributions have sadly counted for nothing.
When the Wilf family completed their takeover in 2021, the aim was trophies. We got one in 2022, of course, but since then, MLS Cup has remained elusive. Moving away from signing international superstars like Kaká and Nani, the club has leaned on a low-risk, high-ceiling transfer strategy – a hallmark of Ricardo Moreira’s approach. Yet with the recent news that Orlando are attempting to lure Richarlison to Central Florida, perhaps it’s time to rethink everything.
Bouncing back will be hard though. When you perform below expectations, your best players become targets. Alex Freeman is almost certain to move on this winter and Borussia Mönchengladbach are “interested” in Marco Pašalić who “would like to return to Europe”. You have to imagine that suitors will come circling for our MVP Martín Ojeda too – heaven forbid!
This blog is our full autopsy of 2025 – so buckle up for a bumpy ride as we put in the final word on a season that quickly swung from hope to heartbreak. Continue reading
EMBARRASSED, HUMILIATED, CRESTFALLEN!! All words that describe Orlando City SC’s pathetic 4-2 collapse at Toronto FC on 2025 MLS Decision Day. At the start of the night, a win would have sealed a playoff spot proper – in the top seven of the Eastern Conference. Instead, the Lions limped to another defeat, ending the season in 9th place – a staggering decline from our top four finishes of recent years. We started the season with a 2-4 loss to Philadelphia Union, and we ended it the same way against Toronto. Symmetry, right? Over the year, Orlando have surrendered 13 points after the 80th minute alone. Had we held on in these games, we’d be sitting on 66 points, likely contending for the Supporters’ Shield. Instead, we’re now heading to SeatGeek Stadium (not Soldier Field) to contest the Wild Card play-in game. It’s a far cry from the home playoff ambitions this roster promised.
And what a roster it was supposed to be. Martín Ojeda producing at MVP level, Alex Freeman enjoying a meteoric rise, and Marco Pašalić becoming Facundo Torres’ perfect replacement. Despite scoring more regular season goals (63) than ever before, we have failed to make our firepower count. A spare U22 Initiative slot sat vacant all season, and Ramiro Enrique was sold after the Secondary Transfer Window closed. Mismanagement, wasted talent, and poor execution on and off the pitch have defined Orlando City SC’s disappointing 2025 regular season. The collapse in decision-making and consistency has been breathtaking, leaving fans, staff, and owners with every right to feel frustrated and betrayed.
This isn’t just disappointing – it’s regression. From legitimate MLS Cup contenders to 9th in the East, Orlando City SC have taken a massive step backwards. Wednesday’s trip to Chicago Fire isn’t just another match. It’s the final chance to salvage some pride from a season of squandered opportunities, soft goals, wasted leads, and unfulfilled potential. The squad, the coaching staff, and the club as a whole must take a long, hard look at themselves before 2026, because this year has been nothing short of disastrous. If you ask me, major changes are needed this off-season – both on the touchline and in the squad. Continue reading
We’re feeling the pressure, aren’t we? 😬 After a costly 1-1 draw at bottom-placed D.C. United, Orlando City SC return home for a massive showdown with Nashville SC. Winless since advancing past Toluca, the Lions must rediscover their form with the playoffs fast approaching – or at least we hope! Dropping points at Audi Field was criminal, and with only five regular season games left, the margin for error is now razor thin.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer. Orlando currently sit EIGHTH on 48 points but have one game in hand and trail fourth-placed Nashville by just two. A win at Inter&Co Stadium would put us right back in the top four fight. But Nashville have been a nightmare opponent this year, knocking us out of the U.S. Open Cup and hammering us 5-1 only two league games ago. Nothing less than three points will do if we’re serious about chasing a home playoff spot. No more excuses! Continue reading
BACK TO BUSINESS, LIONS! 🦁 After a frustrating fourth place finish in the 2025 Leagues Cup, Orlando City SC are back in MLS action this Saturday. Visiting D.C. United, we desperately need three points and a return to form. The Galaxy defeat still stings, and the squad looked drained in Carson. But the international break gave most of our players a chance to rest, recover, and reset ahead of this must-win clash.
The East is still wide open, and with a game in hand on the current top four, this fixture is crucial if we want to secure a home playoff spot. D.C. United may be rock bottom, but they’ve picked up under new head coach René Weiler. Unbeaten in three (1-2-0), they pulled off a shock 1-2 win at New York City FC last time out, so they won’t be pushovers. Lose this one, and it’s panic stations. Win it, and we’re back on track, with belief and momentum heading down the stretch. Continue reading
THEY GOT WHAT THEY WANTED, DIDN’T THEY? 🤬😤 Orlando City SC were kicked to the curb in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday. Ultimately, we were robbed of a Leagues Cup Final berth by decisions that only went one way. Just two games ago, we had a chance to reach third place in the East and the 2025 Leagues Cup Final. With both chances missed, we’re now clinging on to salvage at least a 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup spot in the Third Place Match. The game can be cruel and unrelenting, but we need to keep going. As Ricardo Moreira tweeted after our semi-final heartbreak: “Tomorrow is day one again.”
It’s a brutal turnaround, too. Having flown cross-country to Los Angeles on August 20, we’re back in Carson for the third time in 2025. This time not for silverware, but survival of sorts. A third place finish still gets us into continental football, and that has to be the focus. LA Galaxy may be a mess in MLS – rock bottom, with the worst title defence in league history. But don’t think for a second they won’t throw everything at this! Continue reading
LET’S REACH A FINAL!! 😬💪🏽 After a rotated Orlando City SC side fell 5-1 at Nashville SC, focus now shifts to the biggest Sunshine Clásico yet! If we win at Chase Stadium this Wednesday, we’d not only reach our first-ever Leagues Cup Final. We’d qualify for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup too! Already sweeping Inter Miami (0-3 and 4-1) this MLS regular season, Lionel Messi is back from injury and fired up to make amends.
Lose, and we’ll face LA Galaxy or Seattle Sounders in the Third Place Match with Champions Cup qualification still at stake. Martín Ojeda is fresh after being rested in Nashville. And Miami slayer Luis Muriel is available, with his one-game suspension not carrying over into Leagues Cup. Just 180 minutes separate City from a second MLS-era trophy, so let’s rise to the challenge! Continue reading
ALL HAIL EL PULPO!! 🐙🧤 Orlando City SC head into Saturday’s six-pointer against Nashville SC riding high, having qualified for the 2025 Leagues Cup semi-finals with a 0-0 (5-6 on penalties) win over Toluca in Carson, California. Booking a semi-final with Inter Miami at Chase Stadium, we’re now just 90 minutes away from clinching a place in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Now back in MLS action, we have a golden chance to leapfrog Nashville into third place in the East. B. J. Callaghan’s side come into this one flat after three consecutive MLS defeats. But the Music City side are really strong at home (9-3-1). Something has to give in Tennessee, and with Papi’s men hitting their late-season stride, this showdown could prove pivotal in shaping the Eastern Conference playoff race. Continue reading
