France striker Olivier Giroud has officially announced his retirement from international football at the age of 37.
The veteran forward shared the news on his X account, marking the end of an illustrious international career.
“The most dreaded moment has arrived: saying goodbye to the France national team,” Giroud wrote.
Giroud’s decision follows France’s semi-final exit at Euro 2024 and his imminent move to MLS side LAFC.
Olivier Giroud retires from international football – Getty image
His international retirement comes six years after France’s 2018 World Cup triumph.
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UCL: Gyokeres told he was ‘barely visible’ during Sporting vs Arsenal clash Viktor Gyokeres endured a frustrating return to Lisbon as Arsenal squeezed out a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the striker coming under heavy criticism from the Portuguese media. The Swedish forward, who previously starred for Sporting, was largely ineffective throughout the encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Despite a strong reception from home supporters, his performance failed to match expectations. Local outlet A Bola summed up his performance bluntly, stating: “The striker celebrates with a mask, [but] seemed masked: he was barely visible.” Other publications echoed similar sentiments, with O Jogo noting that Sporting “stifled” their former talisman, while Público described him as “largely absent from the game.” Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time in Portugal, managed just 17 touches and struggled to impose himself against a defence that appeared well-drilled in neutralising his strengths. Numbers speak to a difficult outing Statistically, his performance showed lack of impact. His only notable involvement came in the build-up to a disallowed goal for Martin Zubimendi, where he was flagged offside. A late effort on goal, comfortably handled by Rui Silva, summed up an underwhelming night for the forward, who was unable to replicate his usual clinical edge that led Arsenal to invest heavily in his signing. Substitutes changed the game With Gyokeres struggling to influence play, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration. The introduction of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz proved decisive. Havertz eventually delivered the breakthrough with a stoppage-time winner, sealing a narrow advantage for the Premier League side ahead of the second leg in London.
Apr 8, 2026
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Debuting for Les Bleus on November 11, 2011, Giroud amassed 137 caps and scored a record 57 goals, surpassing Thierry Henry’s 51-goal record.
His career highlights include winning the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 Nations League.
In his message, Giroud expressed gratitude to France coach Didier Deschamps, the team’s staff, his family, and the fans.
“This France team I served for 13 years will be forever etched in my heart. It is my greatest pride and my best memory,” he stated.