March 18, (THEWILL) – Antoine Griezmann’s world record streak of 84 consecutive appearances for the French national team has come to an end due to an ankle injury. The 32-year-old Atletico Madrid forward will miss France’s upcoming international friendlies against Germany and Chile.
The French Football Federation announced Griezmann’s withdrawal from the 23-man squad on Monday. He has been France’s talisman up front, scoring 44 goals in 127 caps to rank as Les Bleus’ fourth-highest scorer of all time. Replacing him in Didier Deschamps’ squad is Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi.
The 23-year-old has earned seven caps for France so far. His call-up provides an opportunity to impress ahead of UEFA Euro 2024 on home soil next summer. The former world champions face Germany at Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday before hosting Chile at the Stade Velodrome on March 26.
Without Griezmann leading the line, France may need to reshuffle their attack for these warm-up matches. Still, the depth of talent available to Deschamps means they remain favourites against both opponents despite this setback.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
