France’s Olivier Giroud believes Antoine Griezmann will rediscover his form as the World Cup progresses.
ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti questions if Atletico Madrid would have much of a case against Barcelona for approaching Antoine Griezmann.
World Cup: Antoine Griezmann (58′) France 1-0 Australia
Antoine Griezmann has revealed his ideal career path ends with him playing in Major League Soccer by the time he is in his early 30s.
The Atletico Madrid forward, 27, is well-known for his love of NBA and makes frequent trans-Atlantic trips at the end of the European football season to indulge his passion for basketball.
He may well do the same after France’s World Cup is over, and he told Le Figaro he is hoping to make a more permanent trip Stateside in the latter stages of his career.
“World champion, win a Champions League and then I can go and quietly play in the USA. That’s my ideal itinerary. It’s not bad, is it?” he said.
“If the plan goes like that, I’d sign for that now. I don’t know at which age I want to play in MLS, it’ll all depend on the trophies I’ll have won beforehand. When I’m nearer 32 or 33, I want to be there. I still have to be presentable on the pitch.”
Billed as one of the key players if the highly fancied French are to claim a second World Cup in Russia this summer, Griezmann has so far struggled to make an impact.
The former Real Sociedad striker admitted, however, he is fully focussed on helping his country scale to the summit of world football.
“Frankly, winning that competition with your country is the best thing possible. I want to finish my career with that trophy in my cabinet,” he said. “It’ll perhaps be this time, or the one after in Qatar. But I don’t want to finish my life as a footballer without that title among my honours. I think about it very often. It’s an obsession.”
While the World Cup is an immediate goal, Griezmann also said he could be tempted by the prospect of claiming an Olympic gold on home soil when the Summer Games are held in Paris in 2024.
“I would really like that, and that could be a dream. I experienced the Euros in France and it was the ultimate blast,” said Griezmann, part of the Les Bleus‘ squad that finished runners-up at Euro 2016.
“To experience that in 2024 at the Paris Games, I’d sign up for that now. It would be magnificent. Honestly, it could be one of the objectives for the end of my career.”
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