Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann was born in Mâcon, France, in 1991, but his football education was Spanish. Turned down by several French academies for being too small, he was spotted as a teenager by Real Sociedad, moved to San Sebastián and grew into one of the most gifted forwards in La Liga. In 2014 Atlético signed him to replace the goals of a title-winning side.

The first spell

Under Diego Simeone, Griezmann was moved closer to goal and became the team's reference: a forward who scored, assisted, pressed and defended. He was the club's top scorer season after season, played in the 2016 Champions League final in Milan, and in May 2018 he scored twice in the UEFA Europa League final against Marseille in Lyon. That summer he won the World Cup with France, then added the UEFA Super Cup with Atlético against Real Madrid in Tallinn.

Away and back

In 2019 he joined Barcelona, a move that hurt many supporters. Two years later he returned, first on loan and then permanently, and won the fans back the only way possible: with work and goals. In his second spell he played deeper as well as up front, often the link between midfield and attack, and he passed Luis Aragonés to become Atlético's all-time top scorer, a record that had stood for decades.

Legacy

Griezmann left in 2026 for Orlando City in MLS after more than 300 league games for the club. His two spells cover almost the whole Simeone era, and his name now sits at the top of the club's scoring list. For a player once considered too small, it is a remarkable story, and one that the Metropolitano will not forget.