Antoine Griezmann has never won LaLiga or the Champions League, but he's still among the modern greats. Can he sign off with Atlético Madrid in style by winning the biggest club title of them all? Illustration by ESPN As Atlético Madrid headed down the Metropolitano tunnel, having just eliminated Barcelona to reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals, one player peeled away from the rest.
The team had already applauded the crowd, starting with the stadium's Fondo Sur before circling the field, but Antoine Griezmann wanted more. Hesitating on the touchline, he spontaneously raced back out alone, bouncing across the turf, clapping his hands above his head.
For a minute, Griezmann was the only man on the pitch, leading the celebrations of the tens of thousands of fans who had stayed behind. Griezmann, so often Atlético's on-field conductor, was doing it again. He danced, punching the air, as his team headed to a place they hadn't been since 2017: Europe's final four.
"Do you know how beautiful it is to be in the Champions League semifinals?" Atlético's beaming head coach Diego Simeone asked afterward. "Phwoar." Griezmann's dance said the same thing in a simple action.
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However, Griezmann will leave Atlético and LaLiga for MLS this summer to join Orlando City, a club that initially wanted him to join before the MLS transfer window closed but eventually agreed to a summer arrival. He knows his time left in Madrid is short, and every moment is precious. At 35, he won't see many more nights like this, with 69,000 fans in the palm of his hand.
Griezmann is this Atlético team's heart and soul, a club legend -- their all-time leading scorer and fourth-highest appearance holder. He is also, alongside Julián Álvarez, the team's best and most important player right now, even at the very end.
"Training with him every day, there are moments where you think 'maybe you could stay a bit longer,'" Ademola Lookman, who joined Atlético in January, tells ESPN. "I wouldn't say he's surprised me, because he's a legend in football, for what he's brought to the game, for what he represents. Seeing that close up every single day is something you appreciate and learn from. It's an absolute pleasure."
Since Griezmann's departure was first trailed in February, his season has turned into a farewell tour. In the last month, he and Atlético have faced one huge game after another, as the fixture list has been full of meaningful matches with a high degree of difficulty.