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#1 Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Always smiling, always jovial but a brilliant footballer, Griezmann is widely expected to be La Liga's next winner of the Ballon d’Or trophy (aside Messi and Ronaldo).
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The 27-year-old forward has become the go-to guy for both his Spanish club and the French national team and is central to the hopes and dreams of both sides.
A brilliant finisher who also doubles as a very good playmaker, Griezmann was voted as the Player of the Tournament as his goals and performances propelled hosts France to the final of Euro 2016 where they eventually lost out to Portugal.
His combination of incisive passing, razor-sharp finishing, a willingness to sacrifice himself for the benefit of the team and his flair for the dramatic have made him a fans' favorite.
Griezmann’s ability to deliver when it matters the most puts him in the line of world-class players just below the footballing demi-gods of Cristiano and Lionel.
With both players expected to begin an inevitable decline in the nearest future, Griezmann has a good chance to be one of the successors to the Ballon d’Or throne and if he can have the same impact at Russia 2018 that he had at Euro 2016, expect him to be one of the favourites come the end of the year.
