French football player, Antoine Griezmann has been described as one of the best newcomers and he was even nominated for the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2016 and 2018 respectively. Also, the 33-year-old striker has been ranked France’s sixth-most capped player as well as the country’s third-highest all-time top goalscorer.
Coming from an athletic family, Antoine’s father, Alain worked as the president of Union du Football Mâconnais while his younger brother, Theo plays for an amateur French club.
Antoine Griezmann’s Biography
Antoine Griezmann was born on March 21, 1991, to his parents, Alain and Isabelle. When he was born, his father was working as a town councilor while his mother, was a hospital staff.
The French player has two siblings Maud and Theo. His sister Maud, who is a specialist in public relations was a survivor of the siege of the Bataclan theatre in the November 2015 Paris attacks.
His younger brother, Theo Griezmann is also a football player as well as the founder of the sportswear brand GZ.
Antoine’s father is originally from Munster Germany while his mother is of Portuguese descent. The family name was originally spelled as Griesmann but it was later changed to Griezmann.
Is Antoine Griezmann Married?
The French striker and his long-term partner Erika Choperana married in a secret ceremony on 15 June 2017 at the 11th-century Palacio de Galiana castle in Toledo, Spain.
There have been speculations that the couple first met in San Sebastian in Spain while Griezmann was playing for Real Sociedad in 2011. Before they married, Erika had a blog called Cordialmente but she reportedly deactivated it in 2014.
The couple has three children. Their first daughter, Mia (8-year) was born on April 8, 2016. The second child, Amaro(5-year) was born on April 8 2019 while the third, Alba (3) was welcomed 8 on April 2021. It is interesting to know that all of Antoine’s three children share the same birthday.
Here are Other Interesting Facts about the French Player
1. His Grandfather was a Portuguese Football Player
Apparently, the Frenchman and his brother, Theo are not the only footballers in the family. Griezmann’s grandfather, Amaro Lopes was a Portuguese footballer who played for a football club in Paços de Ferreira. Amaro was part of the pioneering team in forming the club in 1950.
Amaro represented Paços then later Vasco in the first half of the 1950s. Antoine’s grandfather later moved to France to work. He died in 1992 when the former Barcelona forward was still a baby.
Although his grandfather was no more, Antoine Greizmann spent most of his holidays in Paços de Ferreira.
In 2019, Griezmann became the fifth-most expensive player of all time. In addition to that, he became Atletico Madrid’s third-highest all-time top goalscorer.
The 33-year-old player has preserved his family’s legacy by playing for several clubs including Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and now Atletico Madrid. At the International level, he has won the UEFA Under-19 championship and has played in the FIFA World Cup more than once.
Often described as one of the greatest players of all time, Antoine was listed among the French players for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
2. Antoine Griezmann Has Earned Several Awards and Honors in His Career
Known for his stellar football career, the Atletico Madrid forward has won the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup, the Supercopa de Espana, and La Liga Best Player. Also, he has received nominations for the Ballon d’Or and Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2016 and 2018.
Others include:
- French Player of the Year: 2016
- La Liga Fans’ Five-Star Player: 2016
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 2018
- FIFA World Cup Silver Boot: 2018
- FIFA World Cup Fantasy Team: 2018
- IFFHS Men’s World Team: 2018
- Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2018
3. Antoine Griezmann Has Been Involved in Several Controversies
The father of three caused controversy by sharing a photo of himself dressing as a Harlem Globetrotter on social media on December 17, 2017. The post was heavily criticized that Antoine had to delete the posts and made an apology.
Again in July 2021, video footage of Griezmann and his teammate Ousmane Dembele went viral after they were seen laughing at derogatory racial comments made by his friend against Asian technicians in their hotel room. Griezmann apologized afterward on Twitter and even denied accusations of racism. However, the incident made Konami terminate his contract as the brand ambassador of Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card games.
Read Also: 20 Big Players To Watch Out For At Qatar World Cup 2022
4. French International Has Quite a Number of Sponsorship Deals
Since 2017, Antoine Griezmann has had a sponsorship deal with Puma. He has even been featured in German sportswear company commercials. In 2017, he revealed his own pair of custom Puma boots. Also, he advertises for Beats Electronics headphones as well as Gillette.
In 2017 the French footballer became the global brand ambassador for the Chinese technology company, Huawei but he ended the contract in December 2020 after it was suspected that the company contributed to the development of Uighur alert.
5. What is Antoine Griezmann’s Net Worth?
At the moment, Antoine Griezmann is speculated to have a net worth of about $60 million. This could be true since the 5 ft 9 inches player has earned over $27 million as his base salary and has been dubbed as one of the highest-paid soccer players at the moment. His transfer market value is currently €25.00 million.
Outside his salary, Antoine earns about $5-6 million annually from brand endorsements. Although he has signed quite a number of expensive contracts, his deal 210-million-euro transfer fee for Barcelona made him one of the most expensive footballers of all time.
Famous for his ability to score and create goals, Antoine Greizmann has set quite a number of records and has made a name for himself in the football world. The father of three and his brother, Theo would continue to preserve their grandfather’s legacy in football. While he is yet to attain the position of the best player at the moment, he has been listed as one of the best footballers of his time.
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