France international Olivier Giroud has confirmed he will retire from international duty after representing his country in the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024) in Germany. The former Arsenal and Chelsea ace said he wanted to spend more time with his family and admitted it was time to make way for younger players.
Olivier Giroud Announces France Retirement After EURO 2024
One of the most underrated center-forwards of this generation, Giroud has unsurprisingly made it into Didier Deschamps’ final 25-man squad for EURO 2024. The 37-year-old, who will join Los Angeles FC in the summer, will link up with Kylian Mbappe in attack as Les Bleus push to win their first EURO in 24 years.
Giroud is very much looking forward to helping France on their journey, but he does not wish to keep turning up for the national team for the foreseeable future. Disclosing his plans for international retirement, Giroud told L’Equipe (via The Daily Mail):
“You have to be honest, when you make a choice like that [moving to the MLS], it’s also to be able to enjoy your family a little more.
“To be honest, you have to say that this will be my last competition with the Blues. Obviously, I’m going to miss it a lot. But I think that the French team will be finished after the Euro. We must give way to young people.”
Giroud Eyes Special Milestone In Last International Tournament
Having scored 57 goals in 131 games for France, Giroud is currently the leading scorer in the country’s history. Roughly three weeks away from kicking off the journey in Germany, the Frenchman has set sights on two special milestones. Firstly, he wants to add the EURO trophy to his collection, and secondly, he wishes to reach the 60-goal milestone for Les Bleus if possible.
Giroud added:
“It’s really the desire to go as far as possible in the competition with this generation that drives me.
“If I win, apart from the Premier League which is very difficult to win, I could say that I have won everything. I was told a lot about the 60-goal mark for the national team, we watch, but it’s not an obsession.”
France begin their EURO 2024 journey with a clash with Austria on June 17. The Netherlands and Poland are the other two teams in their group.
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