#5 A heartwarming story of his rise
Trending
The unparalleled rags to riches story of a 21st-century footballer has been that of a nimble Lionel Messi, beating the odds in the face of stunted growth to achieve what no human being has ever done before. Griezmann's story follows a similar path; while young, the youth academies of several professional clubs in his country rejected him citing his size and height.
Having left for Spain at the young age of 14, Griezmann overcame many challenges in his childhood to keep his dream in sight.
He also took considerable time before the start of the impact he made at both Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, keeping his head down and continuing to work hard when circumstances were not in his favour. Paul Pogba recently revealed that Griezmann had confided his frustration at occasionally being on the bench during his first season at Atletico Madrid.
His mental fortitude has also become a matter of legend – despite missing a penalty during normal time in the Champions League final, he held his head high and buried the first penalty when the game went to shootouts.
