LOSC signs Orlando Gill, the goalkeeper at the heart of the Mbappé World Cup controversy

LOSC has reached a total agreement with Argentine club San Lorenzo for the transfer of 26-year-old Paraguayan international goalkeeper Orlando Gill. The deal is valued at approximately 4 million euros, and the player is expected to arrive in Lille early next week to sign a contract for four or five years.

Gill joins the northern club to compete with Turk Berke Özer in goal for the team now managed by Davide Ancelotti. His arrival comes in a particular context: during the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup between France and Paraguay, the goalkeeper had publicly lamented not being greeted by Kylian Mbappé following France’s qualification for the quarter-finals. This statement had triggered a violent smear campaign against the Real Madrid striker in Paraguay, fueled notably by racist remarks made by a Paraguayan deputy.

It is precisely this context that makes Gill’s recruitment thorny for LOSC. Ethan Mbappé, younger brother of the France captain, has been playing for Lille since July 2024 and is beginning his third professional season with the Dogues. At 19 years old, the midfielder was approaching the 2026-2027 season with the ambition to take a new step forward. He will now have to rub shoulders daily with a teammate whose name remains associated with one of the most virulent controversies experienced by his brother.