Antoine Griezmann at a crossroads – veteran hoping he gets the nod to fire France against Belgium
Antoine Griezmann, here embracing Didier Deschamps after being substituted in the Austria game, is hoping to get the nod for France's last-16 clash with neighbours Belgium
A French talisman has been camouflaged. Less of Kylian Mbappe has been seen than expected: he missed the stalemate with the Netherlands. When he returned against Poland, some of his face was concealed by the mask protecting his broken nose.
If Antoine Griezmann has been obscured, it is for different reasons. If Mbappe’s return formed one notable detail on the team-sheet for the Poland draw, an absentee was perhaps still more significant. For the first time in a tournament game since 2016 when there was something at stake, Griezmann did not start for France.
