Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for the France national team and La Liga side Atletico Madrid. He is a versatile player, renowned for his attacking, passing, and supportive defense. He has been deployed as an attacking midfielder, winger, and striker in his career.

Early Life

Antoine Griezmann was born on March 21, 1991, in Macon, France. Griezmann's father was a big football fan, and he introduced Antoine to the sport at a young age. Griezmann started playing football at the age of four and joined his first club, UF Maconnais, when he was six years old.

Griezmann struggled in school due to dyslexia. He eventually dropped out of school at the age of 14 to focus on his football career. He joined the youth academy of Real Sociedad and moved to Spain with his family.

Club Career

Griezmann began his professional career with Real Sociedad in 2009. He made his debut for the club in September 2009, at the age of 18, in a Copa del Rey match against Rayo Vallecano. He made his league debut a few months later, in a match against Espanyol.

He quickly established himself as a key player for Real Sociedad, scoring his first goal for the club in October 2010 in a match against Hércules. He helped the team win promotion to La Liga in the 2010-2011 season and played a vital role in the team's success in the top-flight, helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the 2013-2014 season.

In 2014, Griezmann was signed by Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of €30 million. He made his debut for the club in August 2014 and quickly became a fan favorite with his impressive performances on the pitch. In his first season with Atletico, he scored 22 goals in all competitions and helped the team win the Copa del Rey.

Griezmann continued to excel for Atletico Madrid in the following seasons, helping the team win the UEFA Europa League in the 2017-2018 season and leading them to the UEFA Champions League final in the 2015-2016 and 2015-2017 seasons. In total, he scored 133 goals in 257 appearances for Atletico Madrid before joining FC Barcelona in 2019 for a reported fee of €120 million.

He struggled for consistency at Barcelona and found himself in-and-out of the starting lineup. In his two years at the club, he scored 35 goals in 102 appearances in all competitions. In the 2021 Copa del Rey final, he scored the first goal in a 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, winning his first trophy with the club.

On 31 August 2021, Griezmann returned to Atletico Madrid on a one-year loan. He scored his first goal in his second spell at the club, in a 2–1 comeback victory away to Milan in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League on September 28. On October 10th, 2022, Atlético Madrid reached an agreement with Barcelona over the transfer of Griezmann who signed a contract until June 2026.

International Career

He made his debut for the team in March 2014 in a friendly match against the Netherlands. He was included in the French squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, but he did not play a significant role in the team's campaign.

His international breakthrough came in the 2016 UEFA European Championship. He scored six goals in seven matches, including two in the final against Portugal, and was awarded the Player of the Tournament award as France finished as runners-up.

Griezmann continued his impressive form for France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia, where he helped the team win the tournament for the second time in their history. He scored four goals in the tournament, including two in the semi-final against Belgium, and was named the Man of the Match in the final against Croatia.

He was also part of the squad that won the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League Finals. He featured in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Even though France lost in the finals to Argentina, he has a good tournament, finishing with the joint-most assists (three).

Records

• Griezmann is the all-time top scorer for Real Sociedad in the UEFA Champions League, with four goals.

• Griezmann is the only player to score a goal in every knockout round of a single major international tournament (2016 UEFA European Championship).

• Griezmann is one of only three players to score in the final of the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup, along with Pele and Zinedine Zidane.

• Griezmann was named the Best Player of the Final in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first French player to win the award.

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Griezmann is also known for his love of video games, and he even streams himself playing games like Fortnite on Twitch. He has also been involved in the esports scene, and in 2020, he became an ambassador for the esports organization Team Vitality.

In addition to his love of video games, Griezmann is also a fan of basketball, and he supports the NBA team the San Antonio Spurs. He has also been spotted wearing basketball jerseys from other NBA teams, such as the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics.

Net Worth

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around $60 million.

Family

Griezmann's father, Alain, was a town councilor and his mother, Isabelle, worked as a hospital cleaner. He has two siblings, an older sister named Maud and a younger brother named Theo, both of whom are also football players.

Wife

Griezmann is married to Erika Choperena, whom he met when she was studying in San Sebastian, Spain. They got married in 2017, and the couple has two children together, a daughter named Mia and a son named Amaro.

Houses

In 2019, it was reported that Griezmann had purchased a luxurious mansion in Esplugues de Llobregat, a town located just outside of Barcelona. The mansion is said to have cost around €14 million and boasts features such as a gym, indoor pool, and a movie theater.

Griezmann also owns a house in Madrid. The house is located in the exclusive La Finca neighborhood and is said to have cost around €6 million.

Griezmann also reportedly owns a house in France, in his hometown of Macon.