Antoine Griezmann: France’s tireless presence – pushing them towards World Cup glory

The 31-year-old has had to redefine his role, but his influence on the team’s run to the final in Qatar is obvious, writes Lawrence Ostlere

Griezmann has gone from potent No 10 to box-to-box midfielder (Reuters)

A player not like other players at this World Cup, Antoine Griezmann's preparations for it weren't like others either.

A contractual dispute with parent club Barcelona ensured the 31-year-old was restricted to playing just 29 minutes per match in the first-half of the season. A minute more and Atletico Madrid would owe their rivals €40m.

If you were to design a workload for a midfielder on the wrong side of 30 going into a mid-season World Cup, you can imagine it would look something like that. Yet if Griezmann's build-up to this tournament saw him restricted to the periphery, his role for France once in Qatar could scarcely have been more central.