Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading scorer, announced his retirement from international football after the Euro 2024 championship in Germany.
The ex-Arsenal and Chelsea striker was included in Coach Didier Deschamps’ provisional squad for the tournament.
“To be honest, this will be my last competition with Les Bleus. Obviously, I’m going to miss it a lot.
“But I think the French team will be over after the Euro. We need to make way for the youngsters. You also have to be careful not to have one season too many. You have to find the right balance,” Giroud told L’Equipe in an interview published on Thursday.
“I’ve always said that I was going to stop when my body asked me to. I think I’ve got two good years left. But as far as the French team is concerned, I think that’ll be the end of it,” the 37-year-old said.
France, eliminated by Switzerland in the last 16 of Euro 2020, last won the trophy in 2000. They will begin their Euro 2024 group stage against Austria on June 17, followed by matches against the Netherlands and Poland.
When asked about his goals for the European Championship, Giroud said, “No, I don’t have any specific objectives. It’s 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 I’ve won everything… After that, I’ve heard a lot about the 60-goal mark for the national team. We’re watching, but it’s not an obsession,” he added.
Giroud, France’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals in 131 appearances, will see his contract with AC Milan expire next month.
However, he has agreed to join Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles FC after the Euros.
Despite playing 465 minutes over six matches, the French striker did not score during France’s 2018 World Cup victory in Russia.
