PARIS: France midfielder Antoine Griezmann announced the end of his international career on Monday after being coach Didier Deschamps’s most important player for a decade, during which he won a World Cup title.
The 33-year-old, who struggled at this year’s Euros, was one of the key elements in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns as Les Bleus took the title in Russia and finished runners-up in Qatar.
“Today, it is with deep emotion that I’m announcing my retirement as a player of the France team,” the Atletico Madrid player said on social media.
“After 10 incredible years marked by challenges, successes and unforgettable moments, it is time for me to turn a page and make way for the new generation.
“Wearing this jersey was an honor and a privilege.”
’Grizou’, a favorite among his teammates and fans, was also the top scorer at Euro 2016 when France reached the final, only to be beaten by Portugal after extra time at the Stade de France.
Griezmann won 137 caps for France, scoring 44 goals, and imposed himself as a versatile player in Deschamps’s midfield and even if the captain’s armband went to Kylian Mbappe after Hugo Lloris’s international retirement, he was always a voice everyone listened to.
He played a French record of 84 consecutive matches with Les Bleus, a number that underlines his status as the national team’s most valuable player in the last 10 years. “We’ve had a long discussion about (his retirement) recently. Since his debut in the France team 10 years ago we’ve had a relationship based on trust and frankness,” Deschamps said in a statement.
“Even if his club career is not over, Antoine will remain a monument of French football, one of the greatest player in its history.
“It was often said that he was my favorite. We indeed had built a very strong relationship, that will remain intact. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, Grizou.”
A man who was always thankful for a sometimes thankless role, Griezmann is the second top player to retire from international football after Olivier Giroud, the team’s all-time top scorer, hung up his France boots after the 2-1 defeat by Spain in this year’s Euro semifinals. Griezmann, who also helped France win the 2021 Nations League, is the team’s fourth all-time goal scorer.
He has made more than 500 appearances in LaLiga with Real Sociedad, Atletico and Barcelona.
This season, he has scored three goals in nine games in all competitions for Atletico.
World Cup winner Griezmann announces shock retirement from French national team
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World Cup winner Griezmann announces shock retirement from French national team
- The 33-year-old, who struggled at this year’s Euros, was one of the key elements in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns as Les Bleus took the title in Russia and finished runners-up in Qatar
Mid East Falcons and Mumbai Cobras to meet in historic United Series in Dubai
- The league’s top 2 teams collide in a best-of-3 series this weekend at Baseball United Ballpark in Dubai
DUBAI: The Mid East Falcons and Mumbai Cobras face-off on Friday night at Baseball United Ballpark in the United Series, the sport’s first regional championship.
Both teams finished tied atop the Baseball United season one standings with 6-3 records. However, Mumbai will start and close game three, if necessary, as the home team, since they finished first in the standings after winning the head-to-head series.
The Cobras are the first professional baseball team in the history of India. They represent nearly 30 million people in Mumbai and 1.5 billion people in India, the majority of whom are fans of bat-and-ball games, with cricket the nation’s top sport.
Baseball United has reached tens of millions of those fans this year through broadcasts on several of the network’s linear channels as well as the Zee 5 app.
The Mid East Falcons represent the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi, and they have quickly grown both a regional following across the GCC, as well as a global fanbase in Japan.
More than half of the Falcons’ roster is made up of Japanese players, including Nippon Professional League legends Munenori Kawasaki and Hiroyuki Nakajima.
The team also has young prospects from the Yokohama Bay Stars, one of Japan’s top professional baseball teams, adding to its appeal within that baseball-loving nation.
Locally, the Falcons have drawn the largest attendance for each of their games at Baseball United Ballpark, with attendees from more than 50 nationalities coming to support the Mid East team.
“This is the United Series matchup that fans across the world were craving,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and co-founder of Baseball United.
“We have Mumbai vs. Mid East, the two top teams from the regular season who have rosters full of talent, character, and personality. The Falcons are both the UAE’s team and Japan’s team.
“The Cobras represent 1.5 billion people in India. All three nations, as well as fans across the baseball world, will be watching closely as we crown our first-ever United Series Champion this weekend.”
The United Series is a best-of-three championship contest. After Friday’s opening game, games two and three will follow on Saturday and Sunday.
The Falcons are managed by Dennis Cook, a 15-year MLB veteran who won a World Series title with the Florida Marlins in 1997. Cook has been a part of Baseball United since its inaugural showcase games in November 2023.
“Baseball United’s leadership team has done an outstanding job to get us to this point,” Cook said. “We are very excited to play against Mariano (Duncan) and the Mumbai Cobras, and we are very focused on becoming the first Baseball United champions in history.”
Cook has had a unique challenge of managing a roster in which the majority of the players do not communicate in English.
“We are a very diverse team, it’s been great to work with the Japanese kids. I admire them and I like the way we communicate. I don’t speak Japanese, but we have our own way to communicate and it has been a lot of fun.”
The Falcons led the league in both batting (.271 BA) and pitching (2.25 ERA) as a team, and nearly swept the league’s regular season awards, with Kazuki Yabuta (Best Pitcher), Manato Tanai (Best Fielder), Munenori Kawasaki (Clubhouse Award), and Alejandro De Aza (Sportsmanship).
In addition, Nakajima has been atop the league leaders in batting (.400) throughout the year. LHP Shuto Sakurai will be the starting pitcher for game one of the United Series.
Brantley Bell (.441 BA, 1.213 OPS), the star third baseman from the Cobras, won the league’s first-ever Most Valuable Player Award. In addition to Bell, Caleb McNeely (3 HRs, 10 RBIs, .688 SLG), Lou Helmig (2 HR, 10 RBIs) and Miguel Ojeda Jr. (2 HR, 8 RBIs) led the Cobras’ batting attack.
The Mumbai bullpen was also solid all year behind Akeel Morris (0.00 ERA) and LHP Brandon Kaminer (0.00 ERA), who together have accumulated 18.0 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts.
In addition, there are three Indian-born pitchers who have caused a sensation in their country: Akshay More, Tushar Lalwani and Saurabh Gaikwad.
More is 2-0 with 11.1 innings pitched and a 1.59 ERA. Karan Patel, the franchise’s No. 1 starter, will take the mound to start the United Series on Friday night. Patel has 14 strikeouts in 10.1 innings.
Duncan, a 12-year MLB veteran who won two World Series Championships, manages the Mumbai Cobras. He has also been a part of Baseball United since the Dubai Showcase in 2023.
“It’s been an honor to be part of Baseball United. The first season has been an amazing experience, I’m so proud to be part of this history.
“This team has a great chemistry and passion for the game of baseball, but we also have good batting, good pitching, power and speed, and we are going to close strong to make history this weekend.”
