After the 2018 World Cup final, when highlights of France s thrilling 4-2 win were played back at Luzhniki Stadium, one man in particular was enraptured.
Antoine Griezmann stood on the pitch, ignoring the celebrations that surrounded him, his gaze fixed upwards at the big screen beneath the storm-laden sky.
His hands to his mouth, eyes watering, smile beaming, the face of the man bore an expression of boyish disbelief: I was just man of the match in the World Cup final. And we won.
It s unlikely anything in Griezmann s career will ever top that victory over Croatia in the Russian capital. Win or lose, Sunday s Nations League final against Spain almost certainly won t. Still, it will be another special occasion for the Atletico Madrid forward, who is set to win…