Why will Antoine Griezmann wear the Uruguay flag on his boots in France's game against La Celeste?

What's the story?

Atletico Madrid and France star Antoine Griezmann has revealed why he will have the Uruguayan flag on his boots when Les Bleus go up against Uruguay tomorrow.

In case you didn't know...

Griezmann has announced his decision to pay tribute to both nations - his home country France and his other beloved country Uruguay- during the game.

On his Twitter account, the forward announced that he will pay his tribute courtesy of a unique pair of boots decked with the French flag and the Uruguayan flag.

Paire spéciale pour un match spécial pour moi 🇫🇷🇺🇾 @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/SJXfPXmMRN
— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) November 19, 2018

The post, accompanied by pictures of the boots, read, "A special pair for a special match for me."

The heart of the matter

It is a fact popularly known that besides France, Uruguay holds a special place in the Frenchman's heart.

When the World Cup winner first arrived at Real Sociedad as a teenager, Griezmann saw himself being mentored by Carlos Bueno, who represented the Basques in the 2009-10 season and also made 22 appearances for Uruguay.

The Frenchman continues to hold admiration for the Uruguayan even after his move away from San Sebastian.

For those wondering, Griezmann wore a Uruguay flag:
▪️His mentors were 🇺🇾 Martin Lasarte (manager) and Carlos Bueno (player)
▪️Active supporter of Uruguay (often tweets during games)
▪️Close friends with Diego Godin & Josema Gimenez. pic.twitter.com/QCZc3bWKHj
— Uruguay Football ENG 🇺🇾 (@UruFootballEN) July 15, 2018

The Atletico Madrid forward currently even has Diego Godin as his daughter's godfather after years of close friendship with the Uruguayan defender.

His respect for the country also reflected during the 2018 World Cup when he refused to celebrate a goal against Uruguay.

Lovely touch by Puma to give Antoine Griezmann a pair of boots featuring the flags of France, the country that he's from, and Uruguay, the country that he, um, just sort of really likes https://t.co/K5XlLWpKk8
— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) November 19, 2018

When asked about his muted celebration, Griezmann said (via Goal), "I didn't celebrate because when I started as a professional I was supported by an Uruguayan who taught me the good and the bad in football and I have a lot of respect for Uruguay."

"I was also playing against friends, so I thought it was normal not to celebrate."

What's next?

Griezmann's France will face Uruguay in a friendly tomorrow. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, will return to LaLiga action on November 25 when they face Barcelona.