Messi beaten in record he will never recover

Antoine Griezmann has another date with history. If he plays today, as expected, the Frenchman will become the foreign player with the most appearances in LaLiga. He equaled Lionel Messi’s record of 520 matches against Barcelona and is set to surpass him today, fittingly, in the same city.

At 34, Griezmann has competed at the highest level of Spanish football without interruption since his debut—though he first played in the Segunda División with Real Sociedad.

His career spans four seasons with the Basque club, nine with Atlético Madrid, and two with Barcelona. His time at Atlético has been nearly split in half: five years in his first stint, two at Barça, and now four more seasons back at Atlético—where a fifth looks increasingly likely. His return to the club was a success, and while his contract runs until 2026, he has complete freedom to decide his future.

If he chooses to leave, the club will not stand in his way, but both the board and Diego Simeone are thrilled with his contributions. For now, the striker seems determined to stay at least until the end of his contract. A move to the United States, to MLS, can wait.

This season, Griezmann has been Atlético’s most-used outfield player, clocking 3,020 minutes—second only to goalkeeper Jan Oblak (3,360). He has also scored 16 goals, trailing only Julián Álvarez’s 23, and leads the team with seven assists.

Additionally, Griezmann is on the verge of two major milestones: just three goals away from 200 with Atlético and two away from reaching 200 LaLiga goals across his three clubs. He has made 431 appearances in all competitions for Atlético, the eighth-most in the club’s history.

Oblak, meanwhile, sits third with 483. Against Barcelona, Griezmann tied Tomás Reñones for third place on Atlético’s all-time appearances list, behind only Koke (672) and Adelardo (553). Against Espanyol, he will surpass Reñones.

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Meanwhile, Oblak is chasing his sixth Zamora Trophy—an unprecedented achievement in LaLiga history, as Víctor Valdés and Antoni Ramallets hold the record with five each. Griezmann and Oblak are already Atlético legends. And they’re not done making history - even more than Lionel Messi.

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