Here's what you need to know for the Lions' home opener against RBNY in "The Road Ahead" driven by Audi:
Milestones
- Martín Ojeda enters the 2026 season five assists away from tying Mauricio Pereyra's Orlando City club record of 47. Ojeda would need 14 goals this season to tie Facundo Torres’ club goal record, coincidentally also 47. Ojeda would need 17 goals and eight assists to become the first player to reach 50 for Orlando City in either category.
- Duncan McGuire’s next goal, his 31st in all competitions for Orlando City, will tie Nani for fourth place in club history. McGuire is three appearances away from reaching 100 for the club in all competitions.
- Marco Pašalić can become the all-time MLS opening day goals leader for Orlando City if he scores against RBNY this weekend. Pašalić tied Cyle Larin with a brace in his Lions debut last year.
Stats & Storylines
- Orlando City returns to action nearly four months to the day after ending the 2025 season in the MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Match against Chicago. The Lions’ new-look roster sports seven new first-team players, including three U-22 Initiative signings.
- Orlando added championship experience between the posts in new goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, who won the MLS Cup/Supporters’ Shield double with LAFC in 2022. Crépeau is set to challenge new Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair for the No. 1 position with the Canadian national team at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
- The Lions made a major splash in midfield, acquiring Braian Ojeda from Real Salt Lake in exchange for $1.3 million in General Allocation Money. Ojeda is coming off a strong season with RSL that saw him return to the Paraguayan national team for the first time in two years. He will join returners Wilder Cartagena, back from a season-long injury absence, and Eduard Atuesta to form one of the strongest central midfields in MLS.
- City went back to its Brazilian roots for not one, not two, but three top young talents, one for each level of the pitch. Up top, Orlando signed 20 year-old Tiago from Bahia, where the forward scored 9 times in just over 1500 minutes last season as one of the youngest players in the squad. The midfield added rising star Luís Otávio, who had broken into the first team at Brazilian giant Internacional at age 18, while Brazil U20 captain Iago joined to bolster the Lions’ center back corps.
- Orlando also made four first-round picks in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, signing two to first-team contracts – attacker Harvey Sarajian (Wake Forest, No. 5 overall) and center back Nolan Miller (Michigan, No. 9 overall). The Lions have been arguably MLS’ most successful club in the SuperDraft dating back to their inaugural season, acquiring top talents like Cyle Larin, Chris Mueller, Daryl Dike, Duncan McGuire, and Joran Gerbet, among others.
- Orlando City returns some core veterans from 2025 as well. Attacker Martín Ojeda signed a new contract this offseason that puts him under club control through the 2029-30 season after the best attacking campaign in Orlando City history, a 20g/19a masterclass in all competitions. He is joined by fellow DP Marco Pašalić, whose barnburning debut season returned 15g/6a and an MLS All-Star appearance.
- As part of their offseason makeover, the Lions bid farewell to some longtime stalwarts, including their second- and third-most capped players in club history, utility man Kyle Smith (FC Cincinnati) and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese (Deportivo de Cali). Smith made 216 appearances at a variety of positions over seven seasons in the City Beautiful, while Gallese exists as the club’s all-time leader in every relevant goalkeeper statistic.
- Orlando also finished off perhaps its best developmental success story yet, selling MLS Young Player of the Year and Best XI selection Alex Freeman to CF Villarreal, one of the top clubs in the Spanish La Liga. Freeman has already debuted for “The Yellow Submarine” as he pushes for a starting place with the United States at the World Cup.
- Additionally, Orlando saw the departures of midfielders César Araújo (Tigres UANL) and Dagur Dan Thórhallsson (CF Montréal), center backs Rodrigo Schlegel (Atlas FC) and Thomas Williams (Nashville SC), and forwards Luis Muriel (Júnior FC), Shak Mohammed (Nashville SC), and Favian Loyola (Audax Italiano).
- Orlando City’s long unbeaten run in home openers came to an end last season at the hands of the Philadelphia Union. The Lions, 3-1-7 all-time on opening day, will open at home for the 12th consecutive season and will look to start a new streak against RBNY.
Series History
All-time vs. Red Bull New York - 9-11-5, +1 GD (5-5-3, +2 GD home)
MLS only vs. Red Bull New York - 8-10-4, -2 GD (4-4-3, -1 GD home)
2015 - L 0-2 (H), W 2-5 (A)
2016 - L 3-2 (A), D 1-1 (H), L 2-0 (A)
2017 - W 1-0 (H), L 3-1 (A)
2018 - W 4-3 (H), L 1-0 (A)
2019 - W 0-1 (A), L 0-1 (H)
2020 - W 3-1 (H), D 1-1 (A)
2021 - L 2-1 (A), L 1-2 (H)
2022 - L 0-3 (H), W 5-1 (H/USOC), W 0-1 (A)
2023 - W 1-0 (H), W 0-3 (A)
2024 - D 1-1 (H), L 1-0 (A), L 0-1 (H/MLS Cup Playoffs)
2025 - D 2-2 (A), D 0-0 (H)
Meet the opponent: Red Bull New York
- Red Bull New York, the official new name of the club formerly known as the New York Red Bulls, come to town for the second time in the home opener. Orlando City defeated RBNY 1-0 on opening day in 2023, with a Facundo Torres penalty kick marking the difference between the two sides.
- New York missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time since 2009, ending its league-record run of 15 consecutive postseason appearances. The new active leader in consecutive playoff seasons is Orlando City, who has qualified for the postseason in each of the past six campaigns.
- RBNY dismissed manager Sandro Schwarz after last season, replacing him with longtime United States Men’s National Team midfielder Michael Bradley, who will make his top-flight coaching debut this weekend after leading RBNY II to an MLS Next Pro championship in 2025. Bradley, the son of former USMNT manager Bob Bradley, made 151 appearances for the United States. He made his club debut for RBNY under his father in 2004, when they were known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. After nearly a decade overseas, largely in Germany and Italy, Bradley finished his career with 10 years in Toronto, winning a treble in 2017.
- After years of rumors, New York has finally added that elusive third Designated Player, signing winger Jorge Ruvalcaba from Pumas UNAM. Ruvalcaba had 16g/9a in 100 games for Pumas in all competitions and will supplement an attack led by veteran DPs Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (17g/5a in 2025) and Emil Forsberg (11g/11a).
