Former England manager Sam Allardyce ranks Antoine Griezmann as the best player at the 2022 World Cup, ahead of superstars Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
Atletico Madrid playmaker Griezmann has been used in a deeper role in Qatar after top-scoring for champions France in 2018. The 31-year-old has yet to score at this year's tournament, though he had a goal against Tunisia chalked off following a VAR check, but has linked up play well and assisted both goals in the quarter-final victory over England.
Messi and Mbappe lead the goal charts with five apiece and one of the Paris Saint-Germain stars is likely to end the tournament as top-scorer. However, despite those two capturing most of the headlines, Allardyce believes no one matches Griezmann.
"Antoine Griezmann should win the Golden Ball, no doubt," Allardyce told William Hill and Footy Accumulators’ No Tippy Tappy Football. "I’ve never seen anybody change position and play so well, whilst contributing so much.
"The thing with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe is that you remember the genius run [Messi's against Croatia], for example, but you don’t remember anything else they do, and then they get man of the match. If you’re talking about overall contribution in the World Cup, then Griezmann has been a nine or 10 out of 10.
"I think what Mbappe and Messi do on Sunday may determine who’s going to be player of the tournament, but I’d still say Griezmann has been the outstanding figure, just in terms of what he’s contributing in every game to France."
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Griezmann, who moved to Barcelona for a nine-figure fee in 2019, completed a permanent return to Atletico Madrid in October. His pair of assists against England saw him pull away from Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane to become France's all-time leader in the stat.
The former Real Sociedad frontman is one of a handful of players in the France side to have played with Messi and Mbappe. He spent two seasons with the Argentina star at Barcelona and has given his verdict on the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"Any team with Messi in is a totally different proposition," Griezmann said in the lead-up to the final. "We have seen practically all of their matches at this World Cup. We have seen Argentina play, we know how they play.
"They are a difficult team to play and they seem to be on top form. Of course, not only Messi, they have a strong side around him so we know it is going to be a tough game and they will have a lot of support in the crowd."
