Griezmann shows LA crowd what it's missing in Club World Cup finale | OneFootball

Just before the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup began, Antoine Griezmann reached an agreement on a two-year contract extension with Atletico Madrid, the club where he has played the majority of his La Liga career.

That might have made the second half of Atleti's 1-0 victory over Botafogo at the Club World Cup that much tougher to take for some on hand at the Rose Bowl on Monday afternoon.

Griezmann came on at halftime and almost immediately became the best player on the pitch as Atleti fought for their tournament lives, in a city that many once believed would become the French striker's next home as soon as the upcoming MLS secondary transfer window.

The context

Rumors have connected Griezmann to LAFC for a couple of years, and they gained additional steam this spring when it appeared the Black-and-Gold had potentially made a concrete offer to the now-34-year-old as his previous Atleti contract was running down.

That's now quashed after his extension became official, though any LAFC fans who made the 15-mile drive north from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena on Monday may wish it hadn't been.

While his goal came from a simple -- but extremely well-taken -- first-time finish, he completed the second half with five shots, more than any of his Atleti teammates managed, including those who started and went the full 90.

And while it wasn't enough to pull his side into the knockout phase -- Atleti would've needed a three-goal win after losing 4-0 to PSG on Matchday 1 -- it will have quieted any doubts that Griezmann could've been a transformational player for an LAFC side that still feels like it's missing one big piece up top.

Nothing to show

The Black-and-Gold are already eliminated from contention in their own Club World Cup campaign, primarily on account of not being able to score through two matches.

Griezmann's countryman Olivier Giroud still hasn't found good form for the MLS side, and he has struggled most when starting, as he did in Friday's 1-0 defeat to ES Tunis.

Nathan Ordaz has emerged as a promising young talent but is probably more natural as a wide attacker than a center forward. And Jeremy Ebobisse is a good depth piece but also hasn't produced like a starting-caliber MLS striker since his move from San Jose before the season.