There is nothing elegant about Atlético Madrid. In an era in which coaches and teams have crafted tactics around efficient possession and inch-perfect passing, Atleti remains a product of the past. Their coach, Diego Simeone, epitomizes this. The Argentine coach famously tripped David Beckham in a World Cup quarter final in 1998, sparking a rash kick from the English star, a topic of conversation in his latest documentary. But, at the core of Atleti’s chaos lies a delicate gem, crafted in France and polished in La Liga, former world champion Antoine Griezmann.
Going from growing up in the tiny town of Mâcon to scoring in a World Cup final, Griezmann has lived the French dream. As a child, he was often rejected by French scouts due to his small stature. But in football, players like Griezmann and Lionel Messi prove that this myth is often debunked. In 2005, Griezmann's natural ability was spotted by a Spanish scout during a youth friendly against Paris Saint-Germain. He was later offered a trial at Real Sociedad and eventually joined their academy. Once he broke into the first team, he never looked back.
With nine goals this season, seven of them in La Liga, Griezmann has led Simeone’s side from the front. Level on goals with teammate Álvaro Morata and Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno, and only trailing Real Madrid’s young Galactico Jude Bellingham, Griezmann looks poised for another memorable season in the Spanish capital. Ever since joining from Real Sociedad in 2014, the Frenchman has transformed Simeone’s side into one of Europe’s elite teams.
As a player, Griezmann is a technical genius, often weaving in and out of tight spaces under pressure. His soft touch and superb balance allow him to carve out extra seconds when threading passes in the final third. Despite lacking the physical stature of the modern striker, his goal-scoring statistics are second to none and he recently overtook Luis Suárez in La Liga’s all-time scoring charts. On current form and with a contract running until 2026, Griezmann looks poised to break into the top ten, nearing the likes of Raúl and Karim Benzema.
Beyond his goals, Griezmann stands out as a creative playmaker, putting the team’s performance ahead of individual accolades. After Atlético’s 3–1 win against Real Madrid earlier in the season, Simeone praised his star man, stating he was a “reference point for our younger players.” The Rojiblancos remain the only La Liga team to have beaten Real this season.
In terms of positioning, Griezmann is best when deployed in a dynamic front line with a strike partner, but can also drop deep as a lone false nine. Simeone’s current playbook has him alongside Morata, who he uses as a decoy when he drifts wide or drops into space. With a license to roam freely in attack, many defenders struggle to man-mark him or end up overcommitting and leaving space for other Atleti attackers. On the defensive end, Griezmann is known to track back and intercept passes, making him an all-around asset for his teams.
There is no question that Griezmann is one of the finest players of his generation. In 2016, he dragged an average French side to the Euro finals, where his headed attempt early in the game was inches away from breaking the deadlock. During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite the headlines belonging to Kylian Mbappé, Griezmann was the focal point of Didier Deschamps’ side, which was missing key players like Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. Once called the “Le Petit Prince,” now the king of Atlético Madrid, the boy from Mâcon has defied expectations and is setting incredible standards of his own. Looking ahead, Griezmann will hope to lead Atlético to the latter stages of the Champions League, whilst keeping pressure on Real Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga.
