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Antoine Griezmann: Sat alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but will he stay there?

July 9, 2024
Opinion

Antoine Griezmann has as many World Cup winners’ medals as Lionel Messi and played in the match which saw Cristiano Ronaldo become a European champion. He has formed part of big-money transfer deals, working alongside eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi at Barcelona, and has well over 100 caps for France.

 

Griezmann has played in the Champions League final, won the Europa League, and twice finished third in the prestigious Golden Ball vote.

 

Silverware

 

 

 

There will come a time to hang up the most glittering of boots, but that day appears to remain some way off. For now, there is more silverware to be chased down.

 

With France priced at 11/4 in Euro 2024 online bets, the wrongs of 2016 – when the aforementioned Ronaldo and Portugal ripped up the script in Paris – can be made right some eight years on.

 

Les Bleus have picked up a useful habit of winning football matches when not at their best, which suggests that Spain vs France odds that are weighted slightly in favour of La Roja could be bucked when another European Championship final berth comes up for grabs.

 

With Kylian Mbappe not firing on all cylinders in Germany, as a broken nose and protective face mask make life difficult for the Real Madrid-bound forward, it is a star already shining in the Spanish capital that could be the difference between success and failure.

 

Griezmann has, over the course of a 10-year international career, been a model of consistency when donning the colours of his country. Is he the same player who made the Ballon d’Or podium in 2016 and 2018? Probably not, but the same can be said for those who he stood alongside.

 

Back then, Griezmann was very much in the same talent bracket as Messrs Messi and Ronaldo. He never shied away from talking up that standing, with understandable pride being taken in sitting alongside a couple of all-time greats.

 

Griezmann said when at the peak of his powers: “I seek to be as complete as possible. I’m not going to score 50 goals, but I’m looking to help offensively and work for the team. I think I already sit where Messi and Cristiano are. I know other players are going to come for sure. I want to improve.”

 

He may not have been able to kick on as far as he would have liked, but to enjoy such company for any period of time is a serious feather in a professional cap.

Legacy

 

 

 

It is not difficult to argue that Messi has maintained his seemingly extraterrestrial standards, with World Cup glory savoured in 2022, while Ronaldo was able to post another 50-goal season at Al-Nassr in 2023-24. Griezmann registered 24 efforts of his own last term for Atletico Madrid – his best return since 2018 – so can claim to still form part of the global elite.

 

European Championship glory would add further weight to that argument. Griezmann is right to suggest that he has sat at the same table as some of the very best to ever do it, but whether his legacy keeps him in that conversation is yet to be determined.

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