After Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, 2018 world champion with the France team, announced his international retirement. But will the Atlético de Madrid player imitate his former teammates, to the point of directly joining the American football championship, MLS, after his end of adventure in Blue?
“MLS remains a goal”said the main interested party very clearly, again in June 2023. At the end of his contract with the Colchoneros in June 2025, it seems unlikely to see the striker extend, at the age of 33. He could therefore leave freely, towards his dream, but what objectives does he have left before leaving for a less competitive and publicized championship? Here are some challenges…
The Champions League, the last big box to check
If we start from the premise that Antoine Griezmann only has one season left to accomplish his final challenges in Europe, everything will have to be done with Atlético de Madrid, before June 2025… And what is missing most player to have an undeniable legendary status in his sport, it is obviously a major club title.
Having only known three (Real Sociedad, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona), all in the same division, this has greatly limited his range of possibilities and his trophy cabinet is not that full. We obviously find the Europa League in 2018, won against OM. The Colchoneros enhanced this victory with the European Super Cup the same year. But behind it, we only find at the national level a Spanish Cup, in 2021, with FC Barcelona, a club where individually it had not managed to win.
After fifteen years spent at the highest Spanish level, the biggest inconsistency to resolve for Antoine Griezmann is therefore that of being, at a minimum, champion of Spain with his team. The task promises to be difficult with Atlético de Madrid this season, who are already five points behind the leader, FC Barcelona, after eight days.
A more personal goal?
The mission seems almost impossible when we think of the Champions League, a title he came close to in 2016, the same year in which he touched the Euro with his fingertips with the Blues. His club lost in the final against Real Madrid after the penalty shootout. Here again this year, from the second day of the new format of the biggest European competition, Atlético suffered a serious slap 4-0 on the Benfica pitch.
Perhaps there remain more personal objectives even if, here too, the challenge is not simple. It’s hard to imagine him equaling his best result at the Ballon d’Or (3e in 2016 and 2018), knowing that he is not nominated for the 2023-2024 season and that without international matches, it will be more difficult to place for 2024-2025.
READ ALSO. Griezmann retires. Deschamps: “I can only thank him for everything he has done”
His most successful season offensively should also probably remain 2015-2016, with a total of 40 goals in all competitions. So far this year, Antoine Griezmann has only three goals.
Related News :