Lionel Messi, the legendary Argentine player, has relinquished a LaLiga record to Antoine Griezmann, who now holds the title for the most appearances by a non-Spanish player in the league. Griezmann achieved this milestone during Atletico Madrid’s recent 1-1 draw against Espanyol, marking his 521st LaLiga appearance.
Previously, Messi had claimed the record in January 2020 when he played his 467th LaLiga game, surpassing Donato’s previous record of 466 appearances. Messi concluded his illustrious career with Barcelona after making 520 LaLiga appearances, with his final match in the competition resulting in a 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo at Camp Nou in May 2021.
Griezmann equaled Messi’s tally in a 4-2 loss to Barcelona before the international break and has now surpassed him outright. The French international has also climbed to ninth place in LaLiga’s all-time appearance charts. However, he still has a long way to go if he wants to break the overall record held by Andoni Zubizarreta and Joaquin, who are tied at 622 appearances each. Other players like Raul (550) and Sergio Ramos (536) are also within Griezmann’s reach, although there are rumors of a potential move to MLS.
As Griezmann celebrates this milestone in his club career, let’s delve into the data surrounding his rise to the top of Spanish football.
Griezmann began his journey at Real Sociedad, where he made his senior debut in September 2009. He played a crucial role in their promotion-winning season in 2009-10, scoring six goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. This success led Real Sociedad back to LaLiga after three seasons in the second tier.
At the age of 19, Griezmann made his LaLiga debut in August 2010, helping Real Sociedad secure a 1-0 victory against Villarreal. Over the next four seasons, he became a household name in the division, aiding Real Sociedad’s return to European competition in 2012-13. In the final game of that campaign, Griezmann scored the winning goal against Deportivo La Coruna, securing their qualification for the Champions League.
His best season with Real Sociedad came in 2013-14, where he contributed to 20 goal involvements (16 goals, four assists). This impressive performance caught the attention of Atletico Madrid, who signed him for €30 million (£24m).
Griezmann quickly adapted to life in the Spanish capital, scoring 22 goals in 37 appearances during his first season under Diego Simeone. In the following campaign, he became the second Frenchman after Karim Benzema to reach 100 LaLiga goals. Despite speculation about a potential move to Manchester United, Griezmann decided to stay at Atletico and was rewarded with a Europa League triumph in 2017-18.
However, his desire to win a Spanish top-flight title led him to join Barcelona in 2019. Unfortunately, Griezmann struggled to find his place in the team, often being played out of position to accommodate Messi and Luis Suarez. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, led by Simeone, clinched the title in the season after Griezmann’s departure.
Griezmann returned to Atletico on loan for the 2021-22 season but struggled to regain his confidence, scoring only three league goals. However, Atletico extended his loan for another year at the start of the 2022-23 campaign. Despite initial difficulties due to a disagreement between Barcelona and Atletico over a purchase clause, a permanent transfer was eventually agreed upon in October.
Griezmann finished the season with 34 goal involvements (16 goals, 18 assists) in all competitions, with 31 of them coming in LaLiga. He topped the assist charts in Europe’s top five leagues alongside Messi and Kevin De Bruyne.
In the following year, Griezmann surpassed Luis Aragones to become Atletico’s all-time leading scorer, netting his 174th goal. At the age of 34, he continues to perform at a high level and is leading Atletico’s title charge in the 2024-25 season.
Out of Griezmann’s 521 top-flight appearances, 308 have been for Atletico Madrid. He is also on the verge of reaching another milestone among non-Spanish players, as he is just two goals away from scoring his 200th LaLiga goal. If he achieves this feat, he will join Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema as the only players to reach this milestone in the 21st century.
