French football stalwart Olivier Giroud has announced his international retirement, set to take effect after Euro 2024, thus ending a distinguished career that has seen him win the World Cup and amass an impressive collection of goal-scoring records.
As he enters the twilight of his career, Giroud is graciously ceding the spotlight, affording an emerging cohort of French footballers the chance to shine, and perhaps even surpass, his impressive achievements on the international stage.
Giroud, a battle-hardened marksman with a wealth of experience garnered from his time at Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan, is poised to bid adieu to European football, joining Los Angeles FC in the MLS after Euro 2024, leaving behind a glittering international legacy that includes 57 goals in 131 games.
“To be honest, this will be my last tournament with France,” said Giroud, who was first capped in a friendly against the United States in November 2011.
“Obviously I will miss it a lot. But I believe as regards ‘Les Bleus’, it will be game over after Euro.
“It is time to leave the stage to the young.
“If I triumph in the Euro, I can say that I won everything apart from the Premier League, which is very difficult to win,” he said, adding that the 60-goal milestone was not an obsession for him.
The indefatigable Olivier Giroud, who etched his name in Montpellier’s history books by spearheading their unlikely 2012 Ligue 1 triumph, remains resolute in his belief that he still possesses the physical and technical prowess to excel at the highest level, and he’s hell-bent on maximizing his remaining years in the beautiful game.
“I still think I have two years in me, but for the France team in my opinion it has come to an end,” said Giroud, who was also a member of the team under Didier Deschamps that reached the Euro 2016 final.
“Time is beginning to catch up with me and I have thought about it long and hard.
He highlighted the grueling scheduling that has teams playing back-to-back matches with minimal recovery time, a challenge that’s becoming exceedingly difficult, particularly when facing off against elite global opponents who demand peak performance.
“I am, though, not going to Los Angeles to be a tourist, but I think it is the right moment for me.”
The decorated French forward’s career has been characterized by an impressive litany of achievements, including the 2018 World Cup, the 2019 Champions League with Chelsea, the 2022 Serie A championship with AC Milan, and a quartet of FA Cup wins, with three earned during his Arsenal tenure and one with Chelsea.