Griezmann

The man to take sensible decisions in dicey situations, Griezmann is the glue that holds France together.

Yet he was still the go-to guy every time France looked to start a move, and the passing was reliably crisp and unerring. When it was scored his gaze did not alter, he walked backwards to the centre circle talking to his defenders and pointing to both eyes, in that universally understood football mime for “concentrate!" Then, the sting in the tale. When Bellingham had a rare moment on the ball in the France box, Griezmann gently eased him out of it and into a backwards pass. Sometimes when France countered he would hang back and let his younger team-mates make the running. But as with the act of goalscoring, it is about being in the right positions to make these things happen. Occasionally his conservatism was to his detriment. His first half against England was a fan-pleasing greatest hits set, complete with the easiest assist he will ever register for Aurelien Tchouameni’s opening goal. [He formed a fruitful triangle with Ousamane Dembele](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2022/12/10/england-france-player-ratings-world-cup-2022-quarter-final/) and full-back Jules Kounde on the right. More frequently his game was about metronomic tempo-setting and sensible decisions in dicey situations. [With England distracted trying to stop Mbappe](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-cup/2022/12/10/winning-kylian-mbappe-battle-england-lost-war/), Griezmann was allowed to play the role of conductor in France’s midfield. But Griezmann exerted just as much influence off the ball.

One of the major questions that England faced coming into their FIFA 2022 World Cup quarterfinal with France was how to slow down Kylian Mbappe.

Deschamps' loyalty to Griezmann has been impressive and sometimes bewildering since that Moscow success given the detrimental impact of an ill-advised Barcelona move. It was the mental side of things where we got the win." This evening it was a truly great match, we knew the potential of this young English generation. Towards the end of the match, we got a few chances. However, perhaps most recognizable from that Russia success was the understanding between Giroud and Griezmann which enabled the latter to create that one chance he knew the veteran could take. There was something of Atleti coach Diego Simeone to Griezmann's approach to the game where he gave his England counterparts the sort of physical battle that not many expected from such a diminutive figure.

DOMINIC KING IN QATAR: All the hoopla had been around Kylian Mbappe, for obvious reasons, but Stephan subtly changed the direction of the conversation.

‘We were going for a midfielder but a midfielder decided to go to another club — that can happen,’ Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said in August. England had worked tirelessly but this was the flashpoint you feared might cost them, when skill and vision combines to plunder a goal at a decisive juncture — Giroud’s header clipped Harry Maguire’s shoulder but it was always going in. And not a bad pointer for the weekend, either. ‘Olivier [Giroud] getting the most goals; Hugo [Lloris] going past Lillian Thuram’s number of appearances and then there is Antoine — 72 appearances in a row! ‘This is the World Cup of records for France!’ he beamed. DOMINIC KING: Antoine Griezmann caused England so much damage with his nous, tricks and flicks that got France moving in the right direction...

France's Antoine Griezmann bagged his 27th assist for his country against England in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinal, becoming the all-time leader in French ...

The forward has 42 goals for his country and is third in the list of all-time goalscorers for his country, behind Olivier Giroud (52) and Thierry Henry (51). His second assist came in the 78th minute after he picked out Olivier Giroud from the left flank, and the forward head the ball inside the net. Griezmann broke the joint-top record set by Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane (26).

Griezmann had a difficult start to the season at Atletico Madrid and has not scored in Qatar, leaving Mbappe and Olivier Giroud to provide the goals as ...

The Atlético Madrid man's 28 assists passes Thierry Henry (27 assists) and Zinedine Zidane (26 assists) to hold France all time assist record. The move to the ...

The move to the midfield has been good for not only the team, but for him as a player. Not only has he been completing passes with over 80% accuracy and raking up assists, but making major defensive contributions. After his two assist performance against England the World Cup winner is now France’s all-time assist leader.

Thierry Henry made waves for France during his playing career, winning a World Cup and a European Championships title, but he has found out all records are ...

To have rocked the match like that and to have resisted until the end, there is a need for that in a World Cup.” Griezmann has a chance to extend his record in the semi-final as France take on Morocco after Walid Regragui's team beat Portugal. He has played a more withdrawn role this time out, though, and has yet to score in the tournament. Still, despite Griezmann failing to find the net, he has had a big role to play for Didier Deschamps' side. The tally was one more than his 1998 team-mate Zinedine Zidane, but Antoine Griezmann overtook both men by setting up both goals as [France beat England in their quarter-final in Qatar](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/england-france-world-cup-result-28703452). Henry, who was part of Les Bleus' 1998 World Cup-winning squad and started the final as France won Euro 2000, retired from internationals in 2010 with 51 goals to his name.

Antoine Griezmann's creativity is undimmed despite taking up a deeper role in Qatar with two assists in France's win against England.

He may still fly under the radar at times, but after winning the Silver Ball at the last tournament, Griezmann looks poised to perhaps add to his collection of silverware, at least on a collective level. This unfamiliarity can sometimes set Griezmann back – a booking late in the first half meant he was on tenterhooks for much of the start of the second, careful of potentially receiving another. Of course, Griezmann’s creativity is undimmed – his two assists, the second an inch-perfect ball for Giroud, were both clever and well worked but he has also taken on a more defensive role when France are not in possession, averaging as many tackles as Tchouaméni. Despite being much-maligned by fans of Manchester United, Pogba has been, by and large, excellent for his country, chipping in with timely goals and assists while still able to add a bit of steel when necessary. A former No 6 himself, he was always going to take a prosaic approach but it was no small shock when he announced pre-tournament that rather than continue with the same 3-4-1-2 that France had played at the European Championship last summer, with Griezmann in a free role behind Mbappé and Karim Benzema, he would play with four at the back. Antoine Griezmann has had, to be charitable, a rough go of it at club level since leaving Atlético Madrid for Barcelona in 2019 with Barça hampered by onerous financial restrictions and the departure of Lionel Messi.

Antoine Griezmann is playing in his third World Cup for France. • The Atletico Madrid player provided two assists in Saturday's win over England.

How do you rate Antoine Griezmann's club career? Let us count the wins. One second division trophy with Real Sociedad, a Europa League title (and a ...

Antoine Griezmann led France's crazy celebrations at the team's hotel on Saturday following their tense 2-1 victory against England in the World Cup ...

[Antoine Griezmann](/sport/antoine-griezmann/index.html) led France's crazy celebrations at the team's hotel on Saturday following their tense 2-1 victory against [England](/sport/england_football/index.html) in the World Cup quarter-finals. - Antoine Griezmann led the celebrations as he danced around the hotel foyer Antoine Griezmann leads France's triumphant celebrations at their team hotel as Didier Deschamps' stars revel in their narrow 2-1 victory against England in the World Cup quarter-finals