French football icon Antoine Griezmann, a thorn in the flesh of the opposition for nearly a decade, on Monday announced his retirement from international football. The Atletico Madrid striker bows out of Les Bleus after an illustrious career that saw him amass 137 caps and score 44 times in national colors.
World Cup Glory in 2018
An overall World Cup success acted as the ultimate glory for Griezmann, as he marshaled France to the World Cup after conquering Croatia 4-2 in the final in Russia. But apart from the World Cup, Griezmann also played a key role in the realization of the victory of France’s 2021 UEFA Nations League victory after they uprooted Spain 2-1 in a summit clash thriller.
A Decade of Continuity
Coming through the ranks, Griezmann wore the jersey at every level – from U-19 to U-21 and the senior side. This served as his first appearance for the senior side, playing a friendly against the Netherlands on March 5, 2014. On that date, he would become probably France’s most dependable player over the next decade; that is underlined by his all-time record of playing for Les Bleus in 84 consecutive games.
End
Griezmann has played out the last chapter of this magnificent career that France has ever seen, and he was the last one to bring about the era of amazing consistency, determination and success on the international level.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
