Antoine Griezmann Wife 2026 — Erika Choperena
Antoine Griezmann's wife is Erika Choperena, a Spanish woman from San Sebastian in the Basque Country. The couple married on June 15, 2017, and have three children: Mia (2016), Amaro (2019), and Alba (2021). Their relationship, which began during Griezmann's formative years at Real Sociedad, has been a constant through his rise to becoming one of France's greatest-ever footballers.
Who Is Erika Choperena, Griezmann's Wife?
Erika Choperena is a Spanish woman born on March 16, 1990, in San Sebastian (Donostia), the capital of the Gipuzkoa province in the Basque Country. She has a background in child psychology and education, and is the author of a children's book titled “Un grand jour de rien” (A Great Day of Nothing), published in France. Her professional interests center on children's development and wellbeing — a focus that has natural synergy with raising three children in the unusual environment of a high-profile footballer's household.
Choperena met Griezmann when he was a teenager at Real Sociedad's academy. She was living in San Sebastian, and the city's relatively small size — approximately 190,000 people — made it a natural setting for social connections between young people. Their relationship developed during Griezmann's formative years in professional football, meaning Choperena has been present through every stage of his career: from a talented but unproven teenager at Real Sociedad to a World Cup winner, Atletico Madrid legend, and one of France's most decorated players.
Unlike some footballers' wives who maintain high-profile public personas, Choperena occupies a middle ground. She has an Instagram account where she shares family content, her children's book, and personal moments, but she does not seek media attention or celebrity status. Her public image is that of an educated, grounded woman whose identity is defined by her own achievements — her psychology background, her writing — as well as her role as Griezmann's partner and the mother of their three children.
What Is the Full Timeline of Griezmann and Choperena's Relationship?
The Griezmann-Choperena story begins in San Sebastian circa 2011-2012, when Griezmann was an 18-19 year old playing for Real Sociedad's first team. Having left his hometown of Macon, France, at just 14 to join Real Sociedad's academy, Griezmann was a French teenager living alone in a Basque city, navigating a new language (both Spanish and Basque are spoken in the region), a new culture, and the pressures of trying to establish a professional football career.
Meeting Choperena during this period gave Griezmann a connection to local life in San Sebastian that extended beyond football. The Basque Country would become a second home for the Frenchman — he has spoken repeatedly about his love for the region, its culture, its cuisine (San Sebastian is one of the world's gastronomic capitals, with more Michelin stars per capita than almost anywhere else), and its people. Choperena was his primary connection to this adopted home.
When Griezmann moved to Atletico Madrid in 2014 for approximately $30 million, Choperena moved with him — a significant commitment given that she was leaving her hometown, family, and established life in San Sebastian. The move to Madrid marked the beginning of Griezmann's ascent to true stardom: he scored 22 La Liga goals in his first season, reached the Champions League final in 2016, and won the Europa League in 2018.
Their first child, Mia, was born on April 8, 2016 — just weeks before Atletico's Champions League final against Real Madrid. The couple married on June 15, 2017, in a private ceremony. Their second child, Amaro, was born on April 8, 2019 — exactly three years to the day after Mia, a coincidence that Griezmann has joked about publicly. Their third child, Alba, arrived in April 2021, maintaining the family's apparent preference for spring births.
The period between 2019 and 2021 was turbulent professionally. Griezmann's controversial transfer to FC Barcelona in July 2019 for $135 million was widely seen as a mistake — he struggled to adapt to Barcelona's system, scored 35 goals in 102 appearances (below his standards), and was eventually loaned back to Atletico in 2021 before returning permanently in 2022. Through this difficult professional period, the family's stability with Choperena provided crucial personal support.
Why Is the Griezmann-Choperena Partnership a Case Study in Cross-Cultural Football Families?
The Griezmann-Choperena marriage represents one of the most culturally interesting partnerships in modern football. It is a union that bridges multiple cultural identities: French (Griezmann's nationality), Spanish Basque (Choperena's origin), and the broader Iberian cultural context in which they have lived for over 15 years. Understanding this cross-cultural dimension reveals much about how football creates unique transnational families.
Griezmann's own cultural identity is complex. Born in Macon, Burgundy, to a French-German father and a Portuguese mother, he left France at 14 for Spain. He has spent more of his adult life in Spain than in France, speaks fluent Spanish with a Basque-influenced accent, and has repeatedly stated that Spain feels like home. His marriage to a Basque woman, the birth of his children in Spain, and his deep affection for Spanish (particularly Basque) culture position him as a genuinely bicultural figure — French by passport, Spanish-Basque by lifestyle and family.
For Choperena, the cross-cultural dimension works differently. As a Basque woman married to a French international footballer, she occupies a unique position in the Basque community — a region with strong local identity and complex political history. The Basque Country straddles the French-Spanish border, and its cultural identity is distinct from both nations. Choperena's marriage to Griezmann — a Frenchman who was embraced by Basque culture — mirrors the region's own transnational character.
Their children are growing up multilingual and multicultural. Mia (10 in 2026), Amaro (7), and Alba (5) are being raised in Madrid with French, Spanish, and likely Basque cultural influences. Griezmann has spoken about the importance of his children understanding both their French heritage and their Spanish Basque roots — a bilingual, bicultural upbringing that is increasingly common among the children of international footballers but is particularly rich in the Griezmann-Choperena case given the depth of both parents' cultural connections.
The comparison with other Franco-Spanish football families is instructive. Karim Benzema, another French player who spent over a decade at a Madrid club, maintained a very different family dynamic — more publicly visible but also more turbulent. Griezmann's stability with Choperena, rooted in their shared history in San Sebastian and reinforced by common values around education, privacy, and family, represents an alternative model that has sustained itself through career highs (World Cup 2018, Europa League) and lows (the Barcelona years). For more on Griezmann's career, see the La Liga standings and our Griezmann salary analysis.
What Is Family Life Like for the Griezmanns in Madrid?
The Griezmann family is based in the Madrid metropolitan area, where Antoine has played for Atletico Madrid for the majority of the past decade (2014-2019, 2021-present). They live in the upscale residential areas south and west of Madrid that are popular with footballers — the same general area as many Atletico and Real Madrid players, in properties that offer security, space, and proximity to Atletico's training facilities at Cerro del Espino in Majadahonda.
Madrid offers the Griezmann-Choperena family a lifestyle that combines Spanish cultural richness with the practical necessities of raising three children as a high-profile family. International schools in the Madrid area provide English, French, and Spanish-language education options, allowing the children to be educated in multiple languages. The city's cultural offerings — museums, parks, and family-friendly activities — provide a full life beyond football.
Griezmann's off-pitch interests — which include basketball (he is a passionate NBA fan), video gaming (he has partnered with various esports brands), and cooking (influenced by his years in the gastronomic paradise of San Sebastian) — create a home life that, by the family's social media glimpses, appears remarkably normal for a man who has earned over $300 million in career earnings. Choperena's influence — grounded, focused on education and child development — is visible in the family's public image: warm, close-knit, and oriented toward their children rather than celebrity culture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Antoine Griezmann's wife?
Antoine Griezmann's wife is Erika Choperena, a Spanish woman from San Sebastian in the Basque Country. The couple married on June 15, 2017, in a private ceremony and have three children together: Mia (born April 2016), Amaro (born April 2019), and Alba (born April 2021). Choperena has been with Griezmann since his early years at Real Sociedad, before his rise to international stardom.
How did Antoine Griezmann and Erika Choperena meet?
Griezmann and Choperena met in San Sebastian (Donostia) in the Basque Country of Spain, where Griezmann was playing for Real Sociedad between 2009 and 2014. He moved to San Sebastian from France at just 14 years old to join Real Sociedad's academy, and met Choperena during his time there. The Basque city, with a population of approximately 190,000, provided the intimate setting where their relationship developed.
How many children do Griezmann and Choperena have?
Antoine Griezmann and Erika Choperena have three children: Mia (born April 8, 2016), Amaro (born April 8, 2019 — exactly three years after Mia), and Alba (born April 2021). The remarkable coincidence of Mia and Amaro sharing a birthday has been noted by fans and media. Griezmann frequently posts about his children on social media and has dedicated goal celebrations to them.
What does Erika Choperena do professionally?
Erika Choperena has a background in child psychology and has worked in children's education. She is also the author of a children's book, 'Un grand jour de rien' (A Great Day of Nothing), published in France. Her professional interests in child development and education align with her role as mother to three young children, and she has spoken about the importance of maintaining normalcy for children growing up in the public eye.
Where do Griezmann and his family live?
Griezmann and his family are based in Madrid, where he plays for Atletico Madrid. They have lived in the Madrid area since Griezmann's initial move to Atletico in 2014 (with a two-year interruption during his time at FC Barcelona, 2019-2021). The family lives in the upscale suburbs favored by Atletico and Real Madrid players, maintaining connections to both the French and Spanish Basque communities.
Related Profiles
Derniere mise a jour :