Alex Kirkland Apr 28, 2026, 04:00 AM ET As Atlético Madrid headed down the Metropolitano tunnel, having just eliminated Barcelona to reach the UEFA Champions League semifinals, one player peeled away from the rest. The team had already applauded the crowd, starting with the stadium's Fondo Sur before circling the field, but Antoine Griezmann wanted more. Hesitating on the touchline, he spontaneously raced back out alone, bouncing across the turf, clapping his hands above his head. For a minute, Griezmann was the only man on the pitch, leading the celebrations of the tens of thousands of fans who had stayed behind. Griezmann, so often Atlético's on-field conductor, was doing it again. He danced, punching the air, as his team headed to a place they hadn't been since 2017: Europe's final four. "Do you know how beautiful it is to be in the Champions League semifinals?" Atlético's beaming head coach Diego Simeone asked afterward. " Phwoar ." Griezmann's dance said the same thing in a simple action.…