Can Griezmann win Champions League to leave Atlético for MLS on highest of highs? - 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