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France manager Didier Deschamps has spoken about Antoine Griezmann's claim to the 2018 Ballon d'Or, claiming that he deserved the award. The French manager went on to say that the Atletico Madrid forward is among the most underrated players in world football.
Atletico Madrid ace Griezmann finished third in the 2018 Ballon d'Or behind Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo after a fantastic year for club and country. Many have argued since that the French forward deserved to win the award, and Deschamps has lent his voice to such claims in an interview.
Speaking with Telefoot, Didier Deschamps touched on the topic of the Ballon d'Or after the rankings for this year's edition were released. Griezmann was voted a lowly 21st despite playing a starring role in his country reaching the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
"He could, in 2018, have been crowned Ballon d'Or. In all seriousness, he doesn't get the recognition he deserves."
Real Madrid star Luka Modric won the award for leading Croatia to a second-place finish in the tournament in Russia and winning the UEFA Champions League. Griezmann had a very good year on a personal level, winning the UEFA Europa League and the FIFA World Cup while playing prominent roles in both.
The Frenchman scored in every round for Los Colchoneros in their UEFA Europa League triumph and was named the Player of the Year. He also scored four goals for Les Bleus in the Mundial, including once in the final.
In the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Antoine Griezmann did not find the net for his country but provided three assists as they reached the final. His performances for Les Bleus were impressive, and he was easily one of their best performers.
Didier Deschamps; One of the greatest ever in French football
From playing a starring role as captain for Les Bleus in the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 Euros, Deschamps enjoyed a brilliant career. He went on to lead his country to World Cup glory in 2018 and almost repeated the feat in 2022 in Qatar.
Didier Deschamps became France's manager in 2012, replacing Laurent Blanc at the helm of the country's football. He has remained in the role ever since, bringing through one of the most talented groups of players the country has ever seen.
The name of Zinedine Zidane was mentioned as a possible replacement for Didier Deschamps after the World Cup in Qatar. However, the France manager retained his position by signing a three-year contract extension with the football federation.
Deschamps won titles as a player and as a coach, and will surely be regarded as one of the greatest in the country's football history.
