By Graham RuthvenIt’s difficult to imagine Atlético Madrid without Antoine Griezmann, and vice versa. The Frenchman has played for other teams – Barcelona and Real Sociedad – in his career, but Atleti is where Griezmann made himself an icon. He became a reflection of the club, and the club of him. This summer, though, they will part ways.It was confirmed last week that Griezmann will join Orlando City in July. After years of speculation about a move to Major League Soccer, the forward can now look forward to a life in the United States. Even at 35 years old, Griezmann will be one of the league’s best players alongside Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min and Thomas Müller.There’s still plenty for Griezmann to achieve before he says goodbye to Atlético Madrid and European football, though. This weekend’s encounter with Barcelona marks the start of a run of fixtures that could give the forward the perfect sendoff. Griezmann’s long goodbye could be a memorable and glorious one.Atleti are too far from the top of LaLiga to mount a late title challenge. Instead, Saturday’s meeting with Griezmann’s former club from Catalonia will be the first of three quickfire fixtures against Barcelona that, at least in the case of the latter two games, could define Atlético’s season.For all that Atleti have won under Diego Simeone, the Champions League remains the final frontier. Los Colchoneros have made two Champions League finals. Had it not been for Sergio Ramos, Atlético Madrid would have lifted the most prestigious trophy in club football in 2014. Other rivals appear better-equipped to win this season’s Champions League, but Atleti can’t be discounted. Simeone’s side have found their scoring touch recently, finding the back of the net 22 times in their last nine games. Griezmann is part of one of the most formidable forward lines in Europe right now.Ademola Lookman has given Atleti another dimension since joining from Atalanta in the January transfer window. Alexander Sørloth has also grown as an attacking focal point in 2026 while Julián Alvarez has scored more goals than any other player for Atlético Madrid in all competitions this season. Griezmann, however, is still the brightest creative spark Atleti have. He is leading his team for Expected Goals per 90 this season. He is also averaging more shots on target per 90 than any other Atlético Madrid player. Simeone is rotating Griezmann between games, but this is to keep him fresh for the matches that matter most.“I remember when he arrived as a short winger who played on the left,” said Simeone, casting his mind back to Griezmann’s arrival at Atlético Madrid from Real Sociedad in 2014. “We encouraged him to exploit his best qualities – speed, heading, his left foot, his one-on-one talent. “He grew to play in that position at the World Cup and become a world champion [with France in 2018]. He was always a role model in everything, from his effort and work ethic to the joy he brought to the team. Today, our fans’ appreciation is well deserved for what Antoine gives us. Talent has no age.”Atleti are at a crossroads. US-based investment firm Apollo Sports Capital Investment purchased a majority stake in the club in November, raising questions over its plans for the future. For $2.55 billion, Apollo surely wants Atlético Madrid to compete more regularly for the biggest prizes in Spanish and European football.Not so long ago, it seemed Simeone’s own future in this new landscape was in question. The Argentine moulded Atleti in their current form, but a lot of supporters desire a new, more attractive style of play. It was speculated Apollo shared that desire and could make a managerial change this summer.Simeone and his team, however, have been reinvigorated by the challenge of a deep Champions League run and winning the Copa del Rey. After concluding their Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona, Atlético Madrid will face Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey final. Griezmann’s farewell will include another meeting with a former club.Over the last decade or so, Griezmann has consistently been one of the best players in the world. Only Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema and Luis Suárez have scored more LaLiga goals than the French forward since 2015 with Griezmann more adaptable than any of the other names on this list.He can play as a centre forward or as part of a front two. At the 2022 World Cup, Griezmann turned into an accomplished number eight for France. Most recently for Atlético Madrid, he has been a floating number 10 with the freedom to drop deep, get forward and basically do everything. Atleti will miss him, but not before he has the opportunity to achieve even more.(Images from IMAGO)You can follow every Atlético Madrid game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.