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Antoine Griezmann Picks Surprise Player As The Best He's Played Against

Antoine Griezmann Picks Surprise Player As The Best He's Played Against

The Frenchman speaks incredibly highly...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Antoine Griezmann has come up against some of the very best players in world football but when asked for the best he's faced, the Atletico Madrid forward had an interesting pick.

Instead of opting for household names like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, Griezmann singled out Ajax and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie De Jong, soon to be at Barcelona next summer.

Griezmann has met the 21-year old on two occasions on the pitch when France and Netherlands locked horns in the UEFA Nations League and he's already left a huge impression on him.

"I would say de Jong from Ajax Amsterdam," Griezmann told Oh My Goal when asked about his most difficult opponent. His reasoning was simply "because I tried to put pressure on him and never succeeded."

Huge praise indeed for De Jong before he joins Griezmann in La Liga next season. The Ajax sensation will be joining Barcelona from 1st July 2019, after signing a contract for the next five seasons, through to 2023/24.

De Jong had been attracting plenty of interest with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, but Barcelona were his first choice and he will now be playing in the Blaugrana colours for next season following his reported £65 million switch.

As we know full well, Ajax are masters in developing players and selling them for profit but the money they have made on De Jong is next level, considering they bought him for just €1 as well as some players on loan to Willem II in 2015.

Griezmann, meanwhile, was then asked the question of who he thinks is the greatest of all-time. Messi and Ronaldo were at the forefront of his mind, with Pele, Diego Maradona and his compatriot Zinedine Zidane getting a mention.

"Best player of all time? Well you know it depends on the era but I would say Messi or Cristiano," he added, as per Goal.

"I never saw how Pele or Maradona played. It's a tough question. Everyone has their own style.

"There's also Zidane. Zidane won the World Cup. Messi and Ronaldo never have."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, FC Barcelona, Football, Atletico Madrid, Antoine Griezmann, Ajax, Netherlands, France, Frenkie De Jong, La Liga