Hugo Lloris leaves Tottenham and officially joins Los Angeles FC

Having become unwanted in London, the French goalkeeper signed a one-year contract (plus two years optional) in order to join MLS.

Hugo Lloris will discover a new championship. After Ligue 1 and the Premier League, head to Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America, where the French goalkeeper will wear the Los Angeles FC jersey. He signed up, Saturday December 30, for the 2024 season, with an option for two additional years (2025 and 2026). At 37, this is certainly the last challenge in the career of the record holder for selections for the French team (145), from which he stepped back after the 2022 World Cup.

“Hugo is undoubtedly the most successful goalkeeper of his generation and a proven winner. We are very pleased that he has chosen LAFC for the next stage of his illustrious career”said John Thorrington, co-chairman and general manager of LAFC, in a press release. “He brings unparalleled leadership experience at the highest level of football, which we know will greatly benefit our club in its quest for further trophies.”

In California, Hugo Lloris should rediscover the pleasure of hitting the pitch. What he hasn’t done for more than eight months, on April 23, and a nightmarish first period (5-0 at the break, 6-1 in the end) ended with a thigh injury against Newcastle. Since then, the former Nice and Olympique Lyonnais player has not even appeared once on the match sheet even though his contract was due to end next June. Arriving this summer, the new Australian coach Ange Postecoglou prefers to rely on the Italian Guglielmo Vicario (27 years old) and his understudy Fraser Forster (35 years old).

Three finals with Tottenham, no trophies

In just over eleven years in the London club, the Niçois will not have won the slightest collective trophy despite a Champions League final (2-0 defeat against Liverpool, in 2019) and two League Cups (0 -2 against Chelsea in 2015 and 0-1 against Manchester City in 2021).

“I want to thank you for your support since day one. You will forever be in my heart, Spurs will always mean something special to me and my family.”, said the goalkeeper in a video shared on the social networks of the North London club. Tottenham must also pay tribute to him this Sunday at half-time of their Premier League match against Bournemouth.

At Los Angeles FC, the 2018 world champion joins a team made up of some players known in Europe such as Denis Bouanga (ex-Nîmes, Saint-Etienne…) or Carlos Vela (ex-Arsenal, Real Sociedad…) . Founded in 2014, LAFC was crowned in 2022 before losing in the final of the season which just ended, on December 10, against Columbus Crew (2-1). This new challenge will be an opportunity for Hugo Lloris to perhaps add a trophy to his cabinet.