Having missed the first part of the season while finishing his Barnsley loan before joining up with the United States national team, Dike eventually made his 2021 season debut for Orlando as a second half substitute on June 19 in a 3–2 win over Toronto FC. He started the following game, scoring twice in a 5–0 victory against San Jose Earthquakes. He made a further two appearances before again leaving on international duty at the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He missed five games due to the tournament and returned with a shoulder injury and tendinitis, forcing him to miss a further five games including Orlando's continental debut in the 2021 Leagues Cup. With the team struggling to stay above the playoff line from early August, Dike started slow on his return to the side - scoring and assisting once (both in a 3–2 victory over Columbus Crew) in five games. He eventually found form, scoring in three consecutive games for the second time in his pro career. The streak notably included a penalty as Dike took duties away from veteran Portugal international Nani who had failed to convert the previous game, Orlando's third miss on five attempts in 2021. In October, it was announced that Dike was ranked #2 behind only Ricardo Pepi on the annual MLS 22 Under 22, up from #10 on the previous year's list.
