Olivier Giroud's MLS Dream Crumbles as French Star Exits LAFC After Disappointing Stint
Finally, Olivier Giroud's stint in Major League Soccer with LAFC has reached its conclusion.
LAFC revealed on Friday that they had reached a mutual agreement to terminate their partnership, with the French forward preparing to return to Ligue 1 by signing with Lille as they seek to replace Canadian international Jonathan David.
Despite numerous MLS clubs making errors when signing aging European veterans, few have fallen short of expectations as dramatically as Giroud did.
The French national team's record goalscorer arrived in MLS hoping to restore LAFC's championship-contending status, but his performance on the pitch was disappointing, managing only three goals across 24 MLS appearances.
He departs with LAFC sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference, following their elimination from the FIFA Club World Cup after defeats to Chelsea from England, Paris Saint-Germain from France, and Flamengo from Brazil, despite advancing past Liga MX's Club América.
Giroud Was Set Up for Failure
From a tactical standpoint, Giroud was a poor match. His declining physical condition couldn't match MLS's rapid counter-attacking style, and he ultimately lost his starting position to American veteran Jeremy Ebobisse and young El Salvadorian Nathan Ordaz.
In a different era—or perhaps with a different club, Giroud might have become a championship-winning MLS icon. However, under head coach Steve Cherundolo's system at LAFC, he found it difficult to connect with passes and couldn't adjust his playing style to accommodate a fast-break-focused approach.
During his successful spells in Serie A, Ligue 1, and the Premier League, he flourished as a classic center-forward, receiving most of his touches within the attacking penalty box. This wasn't the situation at LAFC, where he was expected to drop deeper to assist in build-up play, receiving fewer scoring chances in the box.
Over 470 minutes in 2025, he recorded merely 6.1 touches per 90 minutes in the attacking penalty area, placing him 32nd among all MLS players in this metric. LAFC collectively managed 440 touches across 16 matches, ranking them 16th out of 30 teams, which significantly contributed to his difficulties.
While Giroud certainly struggled, Cherundolo's tactical approach and unwavering adherence to it ultimately sealed the Frenchman's fate in MLS. Unlike other teams that have successfully adapted their systems around aging superstars, LAFC chose not to modify their approach for Giroud.
Ultimately, this inflexible tactical framework is what sends Giroud back to Lille; he retains the potential to succeed as a conventional striker, and in different circumstances could have become an MLS sensation like Luis Suárez, Christian Benteke in 2025, and previously Zlatan Ibrahimović and Robbie Keane.
Leaving at a Perfect Time for LAFC
Throughout his entire tenure with LAFC, Giroud recognized the situation wasn't working.
After struggling to establish himself in the league, he accepted his diminished playing time. He remained active in all competitions, even netting the opening goal in the Black and Gold's 2–1 victory over Sporting Kansas City to claim the 2025 U.S. Open Cup.
Simultaneously, his exit comes at an ideal moment for LAFC, freeing up a Designated Player slot before the main transfer window begins, providing general manager and co-president John Thorrington with numerous options to strengthen his squad for the season's remainder.
While things didn't work out for Giroud, unlike other MLS disappointments, there was minimal controversy surrounding his departure, and he maintained positive relationships with the team despite the setbacks.
Among the Worst Designated Players?
Giroud's output, particularly considering his $3.675 million annual salary, ranks among the poorest in MLS history. Nevertheless, there have been several other disappointments that created more controversy and caused teams to collapse, often due to their refusal to acknowledge their shortcomings.
Former England international Jermaine Defoe exemplified this, netting only 11 goals in 19 appearances during 2014 and 2015 for Toronto FC. The club surpassed this error in 2021 by signing Italy's Euro 2020 champion Lorenzo Insigne to a deal worth $15.4 million annually, while he has managed just 15 goals in 66 matches.
Insigne specifically has damaged Toronto FC's reputation and progress both on the field and commercially, with the 34-year-old also declining to leave or accept a contract termination.
Meanwhile, LAFC's El Tráfico rivals have experienced their own disappointments, including lackluster periods for Steven Gerrard and Javier Hernandez during their time with LA Galaxy.
Although Giroud's on-field performance failed to meet expectations, his tenure doesn't rank as the worst DP signing in league history. However, his departure was unavoidable after the partnership simply didn't succeed in Hollywood.