Antoine Griezmann Bids Adieu After Glorious Spell with France
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
EURO 2024: Semi Final 1, Spain vs France – All You Need To Know
Spain will face off against France in Munich for the first semi-final of Euro 2024 on Tuesday, July 09, 2024. The clash between two European powerhouses is expected to be electrifying. Spain, the tournament’s joint-leading goal-scorers, are up against Kylian Mbappe‘s France, who have struggled with scoring but have displayed strong defensive discipline. Despite their captain’s struggles due to a broken nose, France has yet to score a goal in open play, but their solid defense has propelled them to the semi-finals. Current Form Spain has been in exceptional form, with wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams excelling. La Roja has scored 11 goals in five matches, winning all of them. In contrast, France has managed just three goals in their five matches. Spain is on the brink of setting a Euro record for the most victories in a single campaign, while France has only managed draws against Poland, the Netherlands, and Austria. Kylian Mbappe’s scoring drought is a concern, and the Real Madrid star was substituted in the second half of extra time during their quarter-final win over Portugal. However, coach Didier Deschamps remains optimistic about Mbappe’s potential to perform when it matters most. “It’s not just linked to the last match, but everything he had to deal with before, with a back problem at the end of the league season, the trauma he had (to his nose). He could have been forced out of the tournament. He’s had to get over all of this, get used to the new conditions but I know he will do everything to be as effective as possible,” Deschamps stated. “It’s something new for him and the fact of wearing a mask leads to having modified vision. Breaking his nose was a big shock, he needed time to digest it, but with each passing day the bruising has gone down,” added Deschamps. Match Details The first semi-final of Euro 2024 between France and Spain will be played at the Munich Football Arena from 9 pm local time (12:30 am IST on Wednesday). Team News Spain: Luis de la Fuente’s team will be without key players Pedri, who is out due to a knee injury, and defenders Dani Carvajal and Robin le Normand. Veteran Jesus Navas is expected to mark Kylian Mbappe.France: France has no injury concerns. Marcus Thuram, who suffered a thigh injury in the quarter-final, has returned to training and is expected to play. Predicted Line-Ups Spain: Unai Simón; Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Morata, Williams.France: Maignan; Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Griezmann; Kolo Muani, Mbappe. Where to Watch The UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals will be broadcasted live on Sony Sports Ten 2, Sony Sports Ten 2 HD, Sony Sports Ten 3, Sony Sports Ten 3 HD, Sony Sports Ten 4, Sony Sports Ten 4 HD, Sony Sports Ten 5, and Sony Sports Ten 5 HD TV channels in India. The Sony LIV app will provide live streaming of the matches. Head-to-Head and Euro Record Spain and France have faced each other 36 times, with Spain winning 16 and France winning 13 of these encounters. Spain, in their sixth semi-final, has reached the final four times, while France has won three of their previous five semi-finals. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
EURO 2024: Why is ‘Mask’ trending on social media alongside Kylian Mbappe?
France’s Kylian Mbappé is injured. But wait, that’s not even the news here. More than his broken nose, the 25-year-old star forward was trending on social media because of a mask. Yes, you read that right. It is now confirmed that Mbappe will be wearing a mask for the remaining Euro 2024 Championships. But which one will Mbappe wear? Fans already have plenty of options for Mbappe to choose from. Maybe Mbappe and the French Football Federation also. Before a conclusion is drawn on the choice of the mask for the star player, it is important to know: why were both Mbappe and Mask together making news? What happened to Kylian Mbappe? He was subbed off in the 90th minute during France’s 1-0 win over Austria in their UEFA Euro 2024 Group D opener at the Dusseldorf Arena in Germany. The drama began in the 86th minute when Mbappé collided with Kevin Danso, causing a nosebleed. Despite receiving treatment, Mbappé was substituted by Olivier Giroud. The incident occurred when Antoine Griezmann crossed the ball into the box during a free-kick; Mbappé headed the ball but was then caught by Danso’s shoulder. With his shirt covered in blood, Mbappé tried to continue but soon fell to the ground, clutching his face, prompting whistles and jeers from Austria’s fans. Kylian Mbappe & Mask – what’s the connection here? Even in the face of tackling a serious injury like a broken nose, Mbappe was still in a jolly good mood.The 25-year-old took to the social media, and said: “Any ideas for masks?” he posted on X. How is it possible for a global star like Mbappe with over 14 million fans alone on X (Previously Twitter) to not get advice from the fans. His followers and fans both took to X and had some funny, hilarious advice for the French forward. Fans Give Mbappe plenty of Mask Options The 25-year-old striker has garnered a massive following on social media and is often referred to by the ’emoji’ of a tortoise, symbolizing his swift pace and agility on the field. Like many footballers, Mbappe has acquired various nicknames, with one of the most notable being “Ninja Turtle.” It sounds like Dior might have a playful sense of humor! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles masks are certainly an unexpected gift for a footballer like Mbappe. It’s always interesting to see how brands engage with popular figures in creative ways. But why Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle? Mbappe earned the “Ninja Turtle” moniker after joining PSG from AS Monaco in 2017. His new teammates in Paris playfully gave him the nickname, which quickly caught on across social media platforms. The PSG dressing room humorously associated Mbappe with the Ninja Turtles, a beloved children’s television show. How bad is Mbappe’s injury? The injury looks bad. At least the first pictures that were out, is good to instill fear in the minds and hearts of France supporters.The French Federation released a statement regarding Kylian Mbappé’s recent injury. “Kylian Mbappé returns to the base camp of the French national team.” The statement detailed that “Kylian Mbappé suffered a broken nose during the second part of the Austria-France held this Monday in Düsseldorf.” It was further explained that “the captain of France was treated first by the medical staff and Dr. Franck Le Gall, who diagnosed him with a nose fracture.” The federation assured that “Mbappé will receive treatment in the next few days, but he will not undergo surgery in the immediate future.” To facilitate his recovery, “a mask will be made for him so that the number 10 of the French national team can prepare for his return to the competition after a period dedicated to treatment.“ Maybe a surgery is out of the equation for now, but how viable is the option of playing with a broken nose, even with a mask on for Mbappe. Real Madrid FC would certainly not be happy with that decision. Will Maskman Mbappe score at Euro 2024? This was Mbappe’s 80th cap for France and his first ever game as a captain in a major international tournament. Kylian Mbappé’s Euro career so far is like a dramatic movie with a twist ending still waiting to happen: 5 games, 18 shots, one broken nose, and zero goals scored. Will Mbappe play against Netherlands? It’s high time for the Masked Mbappé to swoop in and turn this drought into a flood of goals. After all, every superhero needs a comeback story, right? Mbappe is yet to score a goal in the Euros and he will have to wait more since he missed two goal scoring opportunities against Austria. France plays Netherlands next in the Group stage on June 22, 12:30 AM IST. France last won the European Championships way back in 2000. It has been close to a quarter of a century since they have got their hands around the trophy. With an injured Mbappe for the rest of the tournament, their task just became tougher by 200 percent. Can Mbappe prove all his critics wrong? Maybe the mask might serve a totally different version of Mbappe which football fans might not have seen just yet. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
