HIBAPRESS-RABAT-FIFA
As Antoine Griezmann has just announced his international retirement, FIFA is looking at the five most notable matches played by the Blues striker in the FIFA World Cup™.
Antoine Griezmann has decided to end his international career
He wore the French team jersey 137 times and scored 44 goals
A look back at his five most memorable matches at the FIFA World Cup™
Against all expectations, Antoine Griezmann announced the end of his adventure in blue on Monday September 30, at the age of 33. After 10 years of good and loyal service marked by a title of world champion in 2018 and another of vice-world champion in 2022, the best passer and the fourth most beautiful triggerman in the history of the French team will take a well-deserved international retirement.
Grizou’s 10 years spent in the tricolor jersey largely correspond to the reign of Didier Deschamps, who has often rhymed with France at the top, as evidenced by the three international finals played in this period of time. For a decade, the French coach made the native of Mâcon one of his major pillars, and rightly so.
FIFA takes a look at the five most notable matches played by “Grizou” at the FIFA World Cup.
FRANCE 0-1 GERMANY – Friday July 4, 2014
Quarter-final – Brazil 2014 Scorer : Mats Hummels (13′), for Germany
Called up for the first time by the Blues just a few months before the 2014 Brazilian World Cup, Griezmann quickly found his bearings in Didier Deschamps’ team to the point of arriving in South America as a near-starter in attack. , alongside Mathieu Valbuena, Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud. For his very first international tournament, Grizou showed himself to be combative and often technically correct on the left side.
If he is decisive in the round of 16 against Nigeria by pushing Joseph Yobo to score an own goal (2-0), he will not be able to raise his level of play in the quarter-final to defeat Germany , too realistic for the Tricolores. After a nightmarish tournament in South Africa four years earlier, France restored its image with dignity, failing to reach the last four. Grizou’s tears at the end of the match against the Nationalmannschaft touched the hearts of the French fans who quickly made him their new favorite. URUGUAY 0-2 FRANCE – Friday July 6, 2018
Quarter-final – Russia 2018 Scorers : Raphaël Varane (40′), Antoine Griezmann (61′) for France
After having blazed during UEFA EURO 2016 played at home, guiding his team to the final – lost in overtime against Portugal – “Grizou” starts the Russian World Cup with executive status. On the first day of the group stage, he scored the first French goal against Australia on a penalty that he himself obtained, paving the way to success for his team (2-1). Exemplary and very effective on set pieces, it was again he who opened the scoring from the penalty spot during the crazy round of 16 against Argentina (4-3).
Facing Uruguay in the quarterfinals, the emotion is palpable because Griezmann is a total fan of this country and its famous national drink – mate – which never leaves him and which he discovered at Real Sociedad thanks to his teammate Uruguayan Carlos Bueno. Despite everything, the Atlético Madrid attacking midfielder had no feelings against Diego Godin’s Celeste (also his daughter’s godfather) and he produced a remarkable performance which earned him the title of Player of the Match. It is in particular he who will place the ball on the head of Raphaël Varane for the opener and it is again he who will widen the gap on a floating shot poorly captured by Fernando Muslera. FRANCE 4-2 CROATIA – Sunday July 15, 2018
Final – Russia 2018 Scorers : Mario Mandžukić (18′ csc), Antoine Griezmann (38′), Paul Pogba (59′) and Kylian Mbappé (65′) for France; Ivan Perišić (28′) and Mario Mandžukić (69′) for Croatia
For his second World Cup in a row, Griezmann achieved the feat of reaching the final, after beating Belgium in the semi-finals, by offering the ball of success to Samuel Umtiti (1-0). Facing Croatia, the Blues were on cloud nine and logically won 4-2. At the origin of Mario Mandžukić’s own goal to open the score, the Mâconnais then scored the second French goal shortly before the break.
He put in a top performance and was voted Player of the Match for the third time in the tournament. He entered the legend by lifting, in the rain of Moscow, the second World Cup in the history of the Blues, after the coronation of 1998, 20 years earlier. History will also remember that Grizou started in all seven matches of the French epic in Russia, finishing as the team’s co-top scorer and co-best assist player with 4 goals and 2 assists. ENGLAND 1-2 FRANCE – Saturday December 10, 2022
Quarter-final – Qatar 2022 Scorers : Harry Kane (54′ sp) for England; Aurélien Tchouaméni (17′) and Olivier Giroud (78′) for France
Four years later, in Qatar, “Grizou” is still one of Didier Deschamps’ privileged interlocutors on the pitch. An indisputable holder and although positioned a notch lower on the pitch, he remains the offensive master of the team which counts in its ranks a stratospheric Kylian Mbappé, who stacks up the goals and the Player of the Match titles. In the quarter-final against England, Griezmann lit up the Blues midfield and delivered a top performance against one of the favorites for the final title.
Omnipresent on all areas of the field, he was at the origin of the two French goals by delivering two assists: one for Tchouaméni for the opener and the other for Giroud for the goal of the deliverance at 12 minutes of the term, synonymous with the second World Cup final in a row for the brilliant left-hander from Mâcon. After the meeting, an impressed “DD” will say of him: “Antoine really doesn’t calculate the efforts. Defensively, he was outstanding again today. » ARGENTINA 3-3 (ap, 4 tab to 2) FRANCE – Sunday December 18, 2022
Final – Qatar 2022 Scorers : Lionel Messi (23′ sp, 108′) and Ángel Di María (36′) for Argentina; Kylian Mbappé (80′ sp, 81′, 118′ sp) for France
With the announcement of Griezmann’s international retirement, this Argentina-France takes on a completely different flavor since it is officially the Madrilenian’s last match in the World Cup. A final act with a cruel outcome, but which according to most observers will go down in the annals of the competition for its crazy scenario.
Everyone knows the story of this match now: an amorphous French team trailing 2-0 in the first period, then an unexpected double from Mbappé ten minutes from the end which resets the counters to zero before a spectacular extra time and an unbearable finale during the penalty shootout at the finish won by the Albiceleste.
Did this lost final leave its mark on Griezmann? Probably. In any case, the time has come for the Mâconnais to bow out – like his friends Raphaël Varane, Hugo Lloris and Olivier Giroud – and to “give way to the new generation” with a view to the Coupe du FIFA World 26™. “After 10 incredible years, marked by challenges, successes and unforgettable moments, it is time for me to turn a page,” declared “Grizou”, who, for sure, will leave a big void among his supporters, French like the whole world.
